A Hero Returns
by EmikoSakura27
Summary: Its been four years since Pain's attack on Konoha. Once again Konoha's Savior leaves to become even stronger. What awaits him when he returns? Destruction? Prosperity? Or even Love? That's the puzzling part. Who could ever love a monster?
1. Home

Wow! My First New Story in awhile! And My First NAruSaku Fic! YAY! I know the summary doesn't sound exciting but I promise the story is much better if you get a chance. I've had a horrible case of writers block and couldn't come up with anything or write on any of my previous stories because of it. Then I came across this idea and felt the need to post immediately. Well that's all I've got to say...for now. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did writing it!

Disclaimer:...sigh...I do not own Naruto...If Idid I'd be kicking back at my beach house right about now.I own my OCs, plots, and writing style!

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><p>That dazzling smile. His bright face and wondrous eyes. She really missed seeing them as they would always make her heart flutter with joy. His laugh used to bring a smile to her features whenever she'd hear it wherever she was. It had been two years since she'd seen either of those wonderful treasures. She sighed to herself. The one in question had gone off on yet a another training retreatwith Kakashi. That boy just had to learn more Jutsu when he'd become so strong already but something as trivial as that wouldn't have stopped him. He was stubborn as a bull. She thanked the heavens for that. If he hadn't been that way he wouldn't have come through hell's fire like he did and overcome the many obstacles that challenged his very way of the Shinobi.<p>

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><p>The Cherry Blossom of Konoha looked out the window of her Hospital Office. The Village looked at peace, not just peace but finally at eternal peace or maybe it was just wishful thinking. There could never truly ever be peace in this world if those who only knew destruction rebelled against those who wanted to the bring the peace. She shook her head.<p>

_'If only it could truly be peaceful.' _Sakura mused as she grabbed her jacket and left the room.

The hospital atmosphere made her feel gloomy and she needed some fresh air. As she walked by Tsunade caught eye of her. The Godaime's hair stuck up a bit and her hazel eyes were weary. "Where do you think you're going?"questioned a very Irritated Tsunade. She hadn't gotten any sleep for the last few days, including her medical team. Shizune, having also not had a good night's rest, just sighed at the possible argument that would ensue.

"I really need some fresh air. Being here for 3 days made me a bit light headed."the Cherry Blossom replied as she pulled her white coat over her shoulders.

Tsunade nodded, the feeling mutual. The hospital air had been quite stiffing as of late. If only there hadn't been so many injuries lately with the training corps and Anbu S-rank missions. Sakura nodded in compliance before leaving the Hospital. Once outside the lovely breeze blew soundly through the village, its whistles calming. As she walked she was greeted by many of the villagers and some of her fellow Shinobi and Kunnoichi whom were all Jounin now. Her mind reeled back to her days as a Genin. They were days that she could live and enjoy to the fullest. She had Naruto by Her side. Kakashi-sensei...and Sasuke. Even though the bastard obviously had hated her for god knows why it was slightly comforting to feel his presence as he valued her as a team member. That was in the past now and she only had the future to look forward to.

The rosette looked up and realized her surroundings. She'd come to the village gate. Somehow, someway she'd always end up here no matter what she was doing. Whether it be errands, shopping or just a simple walk through the village she would always end up here. It had been that way since a year ago, almost as if she was waiting for someone. Who was it? Who was she waiting for?

Sasuke?

No.

Kakashi?

No.

Who else was there?

A smile crept onto her face. She had been awaiting his safe return to Konoha. Even while he was away Naruto was still her team mate. He was her friend. She couldn't say the same for the other member of their former team though. A cat call brought her out of her musing as she looked around for the source of the noise. She laid her eyes upon Izumo and Kotetsu who were in charge of Pedestrian Traffic reports.

"If it isn't Konoha's cherry Blossom." Kotetsu said with a chuckle. "What brings you out here?"

Sakura smiled. "I really needed a break from the hospital."she said, massaging her left shoulder.

Izumo leaned back in his chair, nodding in agreement. "I understand. Its been a lot more hectic lately around here."

Sakura looked into the sky,her eyes searching the clouds as if they were distant stars. The wind gently caressed her hair. She wondered when her friend would be returning.

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><p>The surrounding Greenery repeated itself as the two walked. Both sighed as they were sick of the sight they'd seen for over 2 years. They wanted fresh vibrant colors and the sounds of prosperous life. Nature was good and all but it didn't compare to home. Their growling bellies yearned for the tempting delicacies that only the Fire-Country could offer. The many possibilities rambled around in their minds. The two snapped out of their thoughts as they caught sight of the village gates off in the distance which brought weary smiles to their faces. Home was all they could think about. The many friends they'd get to see. Even Loved ones. He wondered how they'd changed and how the village had flourished while they were away.<p>

'Home.' they thought. 'We're Finally Home'


	2. Reunion

**Title: A Hero Returns**

**Rating:T(may change)**

**Pairing:NaruSaku**

**Summary:Its been four years since Pain's attack on Konoha. Once again Konoha's Savior leaves to become even stronger. What awaits him when he returns? Destruction? Prosperity? Or even Love? That's the puzzling part. Who could ever love a monster?**

**Disclaimer:...sigh...I do not own Naruto...If Idid I'd be kicking back at my beach house right about now.I own my OCs, plots, and writing style!**

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><p>A gentle wind blew through Konoha. It was an odd yet welcoming breeze that foretold of something great, something strong yet kind. The wind stopped its caress and settled down. Sakura looked towards the gates. Two figures stood there as if waiting for permission to enter Konoha like it was a sacred Monument.<p>

Kotetsu and Izumo stared in relief and disbelief at the same time. The two men stood before Sakura, gawking in amazement as their eyes depicted the vision before them. The Hero had returned, The child of prophecy. The two figures entered, revealing themselves to be Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto. Sakura watched with amazement. He'd come home. Naruto had really returned.

The Orange Ninja walked up to them as he surveyed the scene behind them. "I'm finally home."he whispered to no one in particular.

"Naruto! Kakashi" exclaimed Kotetsu. "Is that really you?"

The blonde nodded, a goofy grin forming. "Hey Guys. How've you been?"

Izumo placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair. " I can't believe it's been three years since you left for another journey."

Konoha's white lighting stepped forward. "This kid just can't get enough adventure to fill a lifetime. He insisted on training every day and anytime we weren't doing anything."he said with a laugh.

Izumo and Kotetsu stepped around Naruto and went to talk with their friend, wanting the details of their excursion. Naruto pouted a bit, poking his lip out before turning to walk away. His orbs caught sight of a young woman standing before him. He looked her over to see if he recognized her. Sakura grew nervous. Why was he analyzing her like that? Did she have something on her face? Naruto continued to examine her features until he noticed her hair.

'Did Baa-chan die her hair?'he mused. Then he caught sight of the illuminous emerald eyes that proved him wrong.

"S-sakura?"he stuttered.

She nodded. "You look just like Tsunade-"

He was cut short when she placed a hand on his cheek. She had to reach out and know that he was real, not some Genjutsu trick that someone would menacingly play on her.

"Naruto."she whispered softly.

Before some awful entity swept him away she pulled him into an embrace, squeezing gently. Was this the Sakura Haruno he'd fallen in love with all those years ago? Her warmth consoled him and her scent of Cherry Blossoms filled his nose. It was a delightful scent, one that he could designate among all others.

"I'm so glad you came home safe and sound."she whispered, her fingers digging into the fabric of his jacket. She didn't want let go for fear of something taking him from her grasp.

Naruto was caught by surprised as he heard her words. He felt his cheeks heat up as the blood pounded in his ears. He wanted to hug her back. He wanted to tell her all about his adventures and what he learned.

"Sakura-chan."he said softly, almost hesitantly. "Is it alright If I hug you back?"

The question puzzled the cherry blossom but it only brought a smile to her face. She had her friend back. "Do you even have to ask?"she whispered.

The blonde slipped his muscular arms around her mid-section. Sakura welcomed his embrace. She's missed her friend, Konoha's Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja and Konoha's Savior . She had promised herself that she would make things right between them once and for all. She pulled back and took a look at Naruto. Kakashi, Izumo, and Kotetsu figured they would let them be. They hadn't seen each other in over three years. The three slipped off quietly so as not to disturb them.

The Blonde Jinchuriki's eyes scanned Sakura's appearance. Her outfit resembled the Godaime's. She wore a sleeveless red Kimono styled blouse and a dark green obi that wrapped around her waist, keeping her kimono closed although it did reveal a bit of cleavage. In conjunction with that she wore black capris and Kunnoichi heels. A white robe hung over her shoulders, Its hemming trimmed with red. Her hair, having grown out, was tied in two loose pigtails by red bands. Light pink lipstick decorated her lips.

Sakura's emerald orbs analyzed Naruto, constantly moving. He wore a fishnet undershirt with a plain black t-shirt and his all too famous orange and black jacket. In conjunction he wore beige pants and his normal shinobi shoes. He sported no headband and his hair,dare she think it, was even spikier than when he left. The Chakra crystal, a gift passed down to him from the Godaime herself, hung around his neck.

"You've changed a lot!" Naruto exclaimed, a smile on his face.

She hadn't just changed. Sakura Haruno was no longer a girl or a teenager but a beautiful young woman. A full-fledged Kunnoichi. If only he knew how he truly felt about her.

The cherry Blossom nodded. "You too."

Naruto hadn't just changed in appearance. She was sure his intellect had grown while he trained just like his power had. She could feel it. He was no longer the genin who played tricks on the villagers. No longer a Chuunin. Hell, not even a Jounin. The Orange Ninja was much more than that. He was a man. A Hero. The two engaged in a memorable look into each other's eyes as they looked into the future, their destinies. They expected the other to do their best in reaching that destiny may it be Hokage or the Strongest Kunnoichi in Konoha.

"Naruto." Sakura spoke after the long silence.

A low growl emitted from her companion which caused her to sweat drop. Naruto laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head which earned a giggle from Konoha's cherry Blossom.

"How about some barbecue,my treat?"she questioned.

The man before her smiled a toothy grin. "That sounds Great! I'm starving!"

Sakura nodded before turning to walk away, Naruto at her side. _'I've missed this side of you Naruto.'_ she mused.

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><p>Tsunade stood atop the Hospital, a hand grasping the gate before her as she let the cool breeze swirled around her. She succumbed to its welcoming chill. It put her at ease as her weary eyes scanned the village. The Godaime had felt the familiar Chakra presences enter the Village a little while earlier. She wondered how the training went.<p>

"Lady Hokage." came a voice.

The Sannin didn't have to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. She knew that voice anywhere. The voice was strong, stern and almost intimidating as she let the wind slice through her, cradle her even.

"I see you've returned."she said with a fatigued smile.

His silver hair was caught within the breeze. It was actually a bit stifling as memories from the last three years formed in his mind. '_This is actually_ _refreshing._' he thought. The last three years had been stifling so to speak. Training with a Jinchuriki,in which Jiraiya-sama had done years earlier, had turned out to be a battle in itself.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes Tsunade-sama. Ultimately it was a very successful training session. There were some...casualties. I've already submitted a report."

Tsunade scanned his features, her hazel orbs traveling. 'A fractured wrist. A bruised Femur. Two Broken ribs and a few severed Chakra points. _Damn_. _Now I know what casualties he spoke of.'_ she thought to herself. She also could hear his labored breathing which alerted her of bruised lungs. He'd tried to hide that fact but obviously failed miserably.

"Kakashi, your injuries...come with me." she said hurrying off to the door. Kakashi looked after her. He was hoping she wouldn't have noticed but being the Medial Kunnoichi she was he knew it was futile.

Tsunade looked behind her to see that he wasn't following her. "That's an order!"she yelled.

Fearing for his life, Konoha's white lightning hurried to follow the blonde-haired woman.

'If only she weren't so damn intimidating.' he thought as he closed the door behind him. 'I really hate Hospitals.'

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><p>Sakura smirked as they entered the Barbeque restaurant. It was fairly crowded although it was only 4:00. By this time Shinobi would be retiring home to their families after a long day's work or going out for a nice family outing. Naruto trailed behind her to the counter. She turned to him, a smile on her face.<p>

"Hey Naruto. Why don't you go and find us a booth?"she suggested.

He nodded, whistling as he went off to fulfill his friend's request. As he walked, stares of disbelief met him. The stares turned into warm smiles and grins. They greeted him with kind words of welcome backs and their thanks, also their blessings. A grin spread onto his face as he found an empty booth. Back at the counter, Sakura paid for everything and placed their order.

"Thank you for your business Sakura-san." the waitress politely said.

Sakura nodded in response before going off to find Naruto. Her emerald eyes searched for him until she found that spiky blonde hair that stood out above all else.

"Thanks again, Sakura-chan."he said with a chuckle as she scooted into the booth and across from him.

The young woman gave him a kind smile. "Your welcome."she replied, taking off her coat and placing it beside her.

A waitress appeared at the table, a notepad in her hands. "What will you be having to drink this evening?"she questioned, her eyes bouncing back and forth between them.

"Camomile Tea with a hint of honey." replied the pinkette.

"Miruki Tea." replied Naruto.

The waitress nodded before skipping off to get what they asked for. Naruto looked after her in confusion. Were all waitresses like that? He sure hoped they weren't as bubbly. Why couldn't they be like Sakura-chan? Calm, collected yet ready to pounce if need be? He sighed, entering his dream world where all things were possible. Then again no girl could even hope to stand in league with her. Her pink hair was unusual but made it all the more beautiful. And those emerald eyes, need he say more?

The Rosette cocked her head to the side as she stared at Naruto. He was acting strangely and drooling like a rabid dog. She hoped he wasn't having any sick fantasies. 'I guess he was hungrier than I thought.'she mused, cringing at the disturbing look on his face. The waitress returned with their drinks and the food they ordered. The blonde snapped out of his trance. The two thanked the waitress once more.

Naruto looked down at the different types of raw meats. There was Sukiyaki beef, pork cutlets, Unagi, Yakitori and Steak. Sakura took some of the Yakitori Kabobs and seasoned them before placing them on the grill. Naruto did the same but with the Sukiyaki. His mouth watered as he watched the meat cook. The young woman across from him took a sip of her tea before resting her head on her folded hand, her elbows resting on the table.

"Tell me, Naruto."she began. "About your 4 year Journey. I want to know how it went."

Naruto's Azure orbs met with hers. He sat up straight, presenting himself with a calm aura. He crossed his arms across his chest as his mind reeled back to the times with Kakashi. He had pushed him to his utmost limits, to the point his chakra had almost depleted. Those were the hard times. Then there were the good times where the two bonded like he and Ero-Sennin had done before. With all the different thoughts rambling around in his head Naruto couldn't make up his mind on where he should begin. Sakura looked at him with worried yet slightly confused emerald orbs. Was there something he didn't want to share with her?

"Well."he started. "I really can't put it into words but...the first day of training was rather boring. Something about chi and stuff like that. Eventually the training got harder with Kakashi testing me of my strongest Jutsu such as the Rasengan, Shuuriken Rasengan and so on. But none of that really matters. I've learned to control two other Chakra Natures along with a new Jutsu. But..."

Sakura raised and eyebrow. "But?"

His eyes looked a bit downcast yet slightly happy. "I can now control the 6th tailed form of the Kyuubi."

'6 tails?' thought Sakura. 'There's only 3 left. How long will it be until he reaches 9? Will I be able to prevent it?'

"I see."she said sitting back against the wall and crossing her arms. She smiled. " That's great. I'm glad to hear that your training went so well. I'm sure Jiraiya-sama would be proud to see that you've learn so much."she explained, turning the Yakitori and Sukiyaki kabobs over so they wouldn't burn.

That made the blonde's eyes light up. He grinned again as looked up at her as she took off her white robe and placed it beside her. His eyes caught sight of a red swirled tattoo on her right arm. That was the Anbu Black ops Tattoo.

"So Sakura-chan what about you?"he questioned. "What has your training resulted in?"

The pink-haired young woman closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to brag to him about how she'd gotten stronger or any of that. Hopefully he'd just get to see it in action one day. She held up a finger.

"I just have one thing." she said. "I've surpassed Tsunade-sama in medical ability and Strength. That's all I have to say." she explained. " Besides the food is ready."

She held up a plate of Yakitori and handed it to him before she did the same for herself while also placing unagi and pork cutlets onto the grill. Naruto took a bite of his food. The Jinchuriki pouted. He wanted to know all of the results of the training Tsunade put her through. Maybe he would just have to wait.

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><p>As the day dwindled down into early evening the wind grew even more chill. The breeze carried a feeling of joy and warmth, a warmth that signified that the will of fire still burned within the hearts of the villagers. Sai felt he should put that into a painting. He'd been working on it for quite sometime as a gift. A gift for someone he'd considered a friend.<p>

'I wonder if he's returned yet.' he mused, a small smile forming on his lips.

Sai had began warming up to everyone in the leaf. The Konoha 11 had accepted his apologies and accepted him as if he'd grown up right along with them. While forming bonds, he'd also learned to respect and consider everyone's feelings. He'd finally gotten the nicknames right. Konoha's Cherry Blossom had seemed to have grown on him as he'd developed sort of a crush on her. By not realizing his true emotions while feigning the empty emotions Danzo had pounded into him.

"If only I'd realized it sooner."he whispered as he put the finishing touches on his masterpiece.

He scanned the large canvas as he figured out a title for it. It wasn't something that came naturally to him sinceh he'd never done this for any of his other paintings. But this was more than just a painting. No, it was way more than that. It was his symbolism of the bond between him and The leaf village. To sakura. The Konoha 11. and to Naruto Uzumaki, the Hero of the fire country.

"I'll call it, 'The Will of Fire.' "

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><p>The Evening had turned into Night. The stars twinkled lightly in the far distance. A Lunar Crescent hung in the sky, its pale light barely illuminating the village. Naruto and Sakura had left the restaurant and were now walking aimlessly through the village.<p>

Naruto yawned. "Where are we going now?"he questioned.

Sakura grabbed his hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."she said softly, tugging him along.

The blonde-haired Jinchuriki was caught by surprise. Sakura was being quite enthusiastic about something she wondered what it was she wanted to show him. The scenery whirled past him as she dragged him further and further down the street, turning onto different streets and into different districts. She led him into one of the old district he didn't recognize. They finally stopped at a large compound. While gawking he'd bumped into Sakura.

"Sorry Sakura-chan."he apologized.

He looked up and saw the Uzumaki Crest, one he'd carried with him his whole life. A life of Isolation. He was enveloped in a funny emotion that he didn't recognize.

"W-what is this?"he stuttered, eager for knowledge.

The Pinkette walked up the steps and onto the porch. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, Naruto on her heels. He closed the door behind him.

"This." she began, is the Uzumaki estate where your mother and Father, Kushina-sama and Yondaime Minato-sama, lived. This is your home Naruto, your true home." She explained, putting the key in his hand and closing it around the metal object.

The Lone Uzumaki descendant couldn't believe what she was saying. He'd met both his Father and Mother in his subconscious once before. His father had been a strong man, the savior of Konoha when the Kyuubi attacked. There was nothing to describe his mother's beauty. He smiled.

"How did you even know about this place?"he questioned.

Sakura nodded. "I've been cleaning and adding a bit of team 7 here and there since it was my idea to restore it for you. I decided against changing anything that might erase the prescence of the Uzumaki clan." she explained once again.

The blonde explored the living room as he sat down on the couch. Sakura looked at the time and realized she had to make her final rounds at the hospital. Honestly though she tried to do what was best for him she could feel her emotions forming as a lump in her throat.

"I wish I could stay longer but I've got some final checks I have to make at the Hospital. Tsunade-sama is bound to kill me for being late. Beside, I'm sure you're tired so I'll let you rest. You've had a long journey and It's been a long day. Good Evening."she said softly, turning on her heels.

Naruto grabbed her hand. He'd had so much fun today with her. If only he could be within her company for a while longer. She was right that he was a fatigued from his journey but he'd only just returned and seeing his best friend really made him happy.

"Sakura-chan..." he whispered. "Would you mind staying a bit longer?"

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><p><strong>WOW! Twelve pages. It is now 11:59 Pm and its a school night! I'm just that dedicated! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as Much as I've enjoyed writing it for you. If you have any ideas, comments, or concerns pm or send in a keeps me going. Well I;m off to catch some much deserved Zzzz's! Jane!<strong>

**Goodbye, but not forever**

**-EmikoSakura27-**


	3. Bonds

**Title: A Hero Returns**

**Rating:T(may change)**

**Pairing:NaruSaku**

**Summary:Its been four years since Pain's attack on Konoha. Once again Konoha's Savior leaves to become even stronger. What awaits him when he returns? Destruction? Prosperity? Or even Love? That's the puzzling part. Who could ever love a monster?**

**Disclaimer:...sigh...I do not own Naruto...If Idid I'd be kicking back at my beach house right about now.I own my OCs, plots, and writing style!**

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><p><strong>-Naruto-<strong>

Naruto had woken up that morning to find himself in a completely different atmosphere. No longer was he sleeping within the confines of his one bedroom apartment but in some wierd place he didn't recognize. Something had to be wrong.' he thought quickly as his eyes darted from place to place, unable to recognize anything.

'This has to be a dream.'he mused as he pulled on his shoes and ran to explore this odd place.

Photos of people he didn't recognize were on the walls of the hallway. There were pictures of the 3rd Also and even a couple of Jiraiya. Just what in the hell was going on?

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><p><strong>-With Sasuke and Karin-<strong>

Scowling despite the lovely breeze in the air, Karin stood to her feet in irritation. She'd had enough! Camping out in the woods was not cutting it. Sleeping on the ground was one thing but bathing in a lake? Who the hell was she to bathe in a gross bug-infested lake? Did she look the out-doors type? No sir! She wanted to bathe in a lovely hot spring! And sleep in a nice warm bed, not some dark, damp and creepy forest at night-time! Sasuke might be able to but not her!

"I'm going to find a nearby village. I want a real bath and have a decent change of clothes." She said to Sasuke…leaving no room for argument. Her clothes were tattered from battles and they'd yet to find a decent village since they'd been traveling. Her feet probably had too many calluses and bumps to count now! GAH! This was so aggravating.

As a woman, she could only tolerate so much and not having a bath or clothes was definitely two of them…probably the top of the list. The sole heir to the Uchiha didn't hear her as he'd tuned her out a long time ago. Her nagging had really worked his nerves. Her voice was as bitchy and whiny as ever now (could he really blame her though?) that they'd joined up as a team and had been traveling ever since. It was rather amusing to watch her storm off to god knows where.

Could he have this woman as the one who would restore his clan? If he had the choice, he would've preferred someone more level-headed and composed but had that slight arrogance about them.

When he thought about it, there was one woman who was one exception. Mikoto Uchiha, his mother. The female head to the Uchiha was a loving woman and was as sweet as she was beautiful. No woman could have even wish to compare to her. She was the only woman whom he had loved with all his heart but when Itachi tore that away from him...he dared not think about it shaking his head. But now, he needed someone who could bear the name of Uchiha, someone worthy enough….

* * *

><p><strong>-With Karin-<strong>

Karin stomped through the forest, not caring about the Uchiha she'd left in the dust. He seemed moodier than usual and she just didn't feel like being around him. Besides she had another priority on her mind, getting a little R & R time. The red-haired woman closed her eyes and searched the area for Chakra's. She found a large mass of chakra just a few miles up ahead, indicating a good sized village.

'Good. There should be a nice hotspring around with a village this size.' She thought happily.

Now she could look good, not to mention clean for her Sasuke-kun…..The thought brought a bubbly and rare smile to her pretty features, a smile she hadn't used during this whole trip, as she practically ran to get to her destination. Now she would finally smell normal not like the mud, dust and god knew what else.

* * *

><p><strong>-Village-<strong>

Karin found her way into the village and was now enjoying a lovely bath in the hotspring. She sighed in content, the waters renergizing her body. She felt at 100% now, something she hadn't felt for the last few days.

"Finally."she sighed, ducking under the water, soaking her hair and rinsing the shampoo out..

She frowned, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stay here all day because Sasuke would be waiting for her. The red head grabbed a towel and stepped out of the water.

'If only sasuke would have more patience.'she thought.

Karin went back to the dressing room so she could get changed and back to Sasuke as soon as possible. The outfit she'd bought was so cute in her opinion. It consisted of a light purple, long sleeved top that stopped at her midsection with a fishnet undershirt and black shorts. In conjunction, she also wore fishnet stockings and her sandals. Her bright red hair was done up in a ponytail. Feeling refreshed, the red-head set out back into town. Her stomach had been debating with her on eating and fortunately it won.

Her red eyes scanned the area for any shops. Karin squealed with delight when her eyes fell upon a sweet bun shop. 'Perfect!' she thought before rushing inside.

Mitarashi Anko just so happened to be munching on some dango herself when she'd felt something ominous but not much of a threat. She looked around the shop and took in account the people in the area. Her dark brown orbs caught sight of a young woman near the back of the shop. Her keen eyes could tell that whoever this woman was, she was not a resident of the Leaf. Every face, Every Hair Color, Even a person's vernacular was not something unkown to her. This woman—no not even a woman- this girl was an outsider and she could not let it go unnoticed. Just to be sure, she flipped through her bingo book, scanning the pages and settling on her current victims: Uchiha Sasuke and Karin.

'It must be my lucky day.' she thought. The interrogation leader smirked as she reached for the radio around her neck. "I've got one."she said, voice sly as she licked her lips in pure satisfaction. An Anbu reconnisance team appeared silently behind her.

Karin hadn't even noticed the strange presence in the air. She only enjoyed her sweet treats, washing them down with a lovely cup of tea. Sasuke had constantly been on her mind. Although a bit skeptical about him and his evil sharingan, Karin still found herself liking him even just a little. Of course, there was the time her life was almost ended by him and she actually found herself pitying her actions of 'love' more like enthrallment towards the Uchiha. That made her frown. She couldn't help but wonder what the two of them would do, now that Sasuke's goal of destroying Itachi had been completed.

Then it hit her. There was one more thing that he'd told her, simply because he wanted her to assist him in this one last action of his of boredom he'd actually told her about his village, The Hidden Leaf. How the Uchiha massacre occured and about one person that tried to stop him: Uzumaki Naruto.

As she went to take another bite of her Dango, a sudden pain exploded in the back of her head. The room swayed as her vision distorted and slowly got dark, leaving her to fall unconcious.

"Sas...uke...kun..."she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>-Hokage Mansion-<strong>

Naruto walked the halls of the Hokage mansion. He was hoping to get some answers from Tsunade. He couldn't even begin to fathom what she'd say. He approached the door and was about to knock when he heard talking inside.

"So you've found his partner?"Tsunade questioned.

"Yes ma''re holding her in a secure location."

Naruto recognized the voice as Mitarashi Anko, Konoha's best Infiltration and recconisance leader. She was one not to be messed with and she was one of Konoha's highly respected and feared, next to the Godaime and her Apprentice.

"It's confirmed that the young woman I took into custody was noneother than Karin, from Team Taka, formerly lead by Uchiha Sasuke."

That name caught the Jinchuriki's attention. Wanting to know more, he opened the door and stepped in before closing the door. Anko whirled around to see the Blonde-haired young man. It was the first time she'd seen him since about 4 years ago after Pain's attack on the Leaf. He'd matured very nicely over the years. His eyes held even more strength than the last time she'd seen him. There was something else though, she could swear it was Pride. No, it was something more. She saw the Yondaime's son, the child of prophecy.

Tsunade tapped her finger. "Naruto, this was a private meeting. What are you doing barging in like that!"she yelled.

"Have you found Sasuke? Where is he?"he questioned.

Tsunade's nail tapping increased as her anger did not want Naruto knowing this. He was one who rushed in first and asked questions later. On the other hand this information was top secret and was only known by herself, her ANBU operatives, and Anko. No one else was to know, especially not him. He would try to find the secret location and wouldn't stop until he did.

"Naruto, I'm going to say this once and only you release this information to any one besides myself, you will cause panic in the village and I might just have you confined. This information is top secret and may lead us to Uchiha Sasuke and I can't have you getting in the way. Understand?"

Naruto swallowed, a bead of sweat dripping down his cheek.

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

><p><strong>-The Hospital-<strong>

Sakura hummed a tune to herself as she finished her daily rounds. The Cherry Blossom had gone to her office to retrieve some files that Shizune requested when she felt another presence in the room.

"Is something wrong?"she questioned, looking over her shoulder.

The ANBU agent made his presence known. "Tsunade-sama would like to see you. We've taken Karin from Team Taka into custody."

The pinkette shrugged out of her white lab coat to reveal her Anbu uniform. It consisted of the Black sleeveless shirt and the grey armor. She modified it so that it only reached her mid-section. Instead of pants she'd opted to wear black shorts and a Crimson red Apron-like Skirt with Black mid-thigh stockings and black shinobi sandals.

"So it's finally come to this."she said as she tied her Headband into place.

The ANBU operative nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

Sakura nodded before disappearing, her mind already on the mission.

* * *

><p><strong>-The Forest-<strong>

Sasuke folded his arms as he waited for his red-haired companion to return. He'd been waiting for about two hours now and quite frankly, he was sick and tired of it. How long did it take to go and buy some stupid clothes? Then again he did feel a strange vibe coming from the village she went into. It felt strangely familiar. Closing his eyes, he focused on the chakra sources. Of course there were large ones, being that it was a Shinobi village. Then he noticed an unforgetable Chakra force. The chakra of the man that was known as his former best friend: Uzumaki Naruto.

How could he have not noticed it? Having been honored for his keen intellect, how could he not have seen this large error? Was he beginning to slip out of the loop? The Leaf was already hard enough to infilitrate especially with all the Highly Skilled ANBU watching its every perimeter. Karin, of course, was his top priority but he himself was on very bad terms with his former Home. Though his Uchiha blood whole-heartedly wanted the Carnage that made him tremble with the thought of killing, one small part of that blood wanted to make amends. That part of him, though small, wanted to come home. He shook his head, purging the thoughts from his mind. Right now he needed to figure out how he would go about rescuing his companion.

"Uchiha Sasuke." a voice said.

The heir to Uchiha didn't turn around as the voice rung in his head. It was a feminine voice that his ears seemed to remember. A voice that always struck him with annoyance but now he didn't know what he felt. This voice, though he knew whom it belonged to, seemed to be different and even somewhat beautiful.

"Haruno Sakura."he said with a smirk.

He turned to face her. A bunny mask covered her face and she was dressed in an altered version of the ANBU uniform. He was surprised she'd gotten that far, without her feeble emotions getting in the way. His dark obsidian orbs burned with annoyance as he looked at her. Sakura, sensing his movement secured a hand onto her heart seemed to slow like the time flow around her. It was just him and her, floating in an unknown void. Onyx vs Emerald. Was this a dream or a nightmare? Hell, was it even reality or just some Genjutsu to make her believe it was real?

_Ta-Thump_

_She brought a hand to her chest as she felt her heartbeat slow down drastically. An odd feeling coursed through her. Something she couldn't put her finger on. It burned in the pit of her stomach. What was this feeling, pouring out of her inner self, her truest of the true?Was it nervousness?Joy? Anxiousness? No. Those were no where near it. If not then what was this damnable fire forming within her. Then it came to her. This pent up feeling was Anger, more like rage. This man in front of her had competed with Naruto, making him feel like he was somebody. Then he took that away from him, ripping it out his heart. Out of his emotions. That had torn him emotionally and Mentally. Seeing Naruto like that had hurt her more than anything. More than any physical would could have ever done. Even Sasuke, once a Shinobi of the Leaf could never hope to be forgiven without some type of punishment, even if she had to inflict it herself. He rightfully deserved it for breaking a hero's spirit._

"Lady Sakura."the creature said.

The Uchiha looked for the source of the voice and found a pink fox standing beside his fromer commrade. It had light pink fur and dark pink ears and feet with white markings around her muzzle and belly. Its eyes were a dark Amber in color. Sakura analyzed the man in front of her and noticed something. She bit her lip in frustration before making a handsign. "Release!"

The image before her disappeared. When had he done it? His voice when he'd spoke her name was real, she could tell. The pink fox looked up at her master with troubled eyes. She was aware of the previous relationship between the two and thought that maybe she had become a bit unstable but that wasn't it. She was frustrated that as an ANBU Captain she was unable to capture him, let alone realize that it had been a clone. In all honesty she was quite pissed actually.

Sakura touched the radio located around her neck. "I've lost sight of target. Secure all entry points and do not leave your posts. I will be returning shortly."

The pinkette looked down at her furry companion. "I've already caught his scent and I've sent a clone to track him."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "Move out."

With those words, she decided to continue her search hidden within the treetops. Her furry companion followed, ready for battle.

* * *

><p><strong>-Karin-<strong>

Karin awoke to a god-awful migrane. Bringing herself to a sitting position she found that her vision was blurred, her glasses absent. Squinting, she groped around for them. After a couple of minutes of searching and crawling around, she found her prize. With a hurry, she put them back into their rightful she could see where she was as her eyes focused. From what she could tell, she'd obviously been taken into custody and placed in a sealed room. In the room there was a bed, which she was currently sitting on, and a table with a chair in the corner.

She tried to think of a way to escape but it only ended in her migrane worsening. What in the hell was she supposed to do? Sit here and writhe in pain while she waited for someone to save her or be executed, whatever the case was? No. She was a kunnoichi and though she was not in the best state of mind she would find a way out of this. Taking a deep breath, the young woman prepared herself as she made a handsign.

Her mind sorted through the different chakra levels and narrowed them down until she found the one she was looking for. Sasuke's Chakra made her shiver as she welcome its intensity.

'Now we can get out of this hell hole.'

* * *

><p><strong>-Naruto-<strong>

The Blonde Jinchuuriki left the Hokage Mansion. He hadn't gotten anything out of Tsunade and he doubted Sakura had anytime to spare. Gah! How it annoyed him that no one knew anything. He shrugged, thinking he would put the matter behind him until he could get ahold of his pink-haired friend. Then again maybe it didn't have to wait. He could go find her and ask her in person. He went towards the main gates, debating whether he should disobey Tsunade or feel her wrath. Just as he was about to step foot out of the village, something pulled him back.

"Don't you dare step out of this village."a voice growled.

Looking back, Naruto noticed something pulling at his pants. He looked down to see a fox, its body light pink in color. It's Amber eyes stared up at him with hard intensity. Naruto didn't know what to think as he was pulled backwards and back into the village .

"What are you doing, you stupid fox?"he growled.

The fox stepped away and looked up at him. "I am NOT a stupid fox. My name is KonKon Kyuubi-sama." she growled.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Kyuubi-sama? My name is Naruto."he corrected her. "Who are you anyway?"

KonKon looked up at him with bright amber eyes."I am KonKon, Lady sakura is my contractor. I was told not to let you out of the village by Tsunade-sama's orders."she said with a smile.

Naruto's eyes twitched. This fox was a summon and she had been given the job of keeping him out of the village? What had Tsunade been thinking? Was she drunk on that stupid sake of hers? When he went to step foot out of the village, Naruto was met with a stinging pain in his ankle. He looked back to see his little friend biting his ankle.

"Why do you keep biting me?"Naruto demanded.

KonKon smiled, a slight blush adorning her furry cheeks. "Kyuubi-sama...sexy!"

The Jinchuuriki's eyes twitched. "Wha...What the hell! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

With that he ran as fast as he could towards the heart of the village. Konkon was right behind him.

"Wait Kyuubi-Sama!"

* * *

><p><strong>-Sasuke-<strong>

Damn it.'he cursed. 'How could I have been so stupid, letting her go by herself? Even with his expert battle tactics he was unsure how to go about rescuing Karin. With Sakura as an ANBU commander and that inhuman strength of hers backing her, he was unsure if killing her would exactly be such a good idea, let along combat with her. He grew even more annoyed. It also wasn't like he had all the time in the world to hide around in a tree.

He jumped from the tree with which he had been hiding his position in as it dissolved into nothing. The Uchiha looked up to see the pink-haired ANBU commander. she was still wearing her bunny mask but even though he could tell that her eyes were searing with anger. 'Maybe I should just kill her here and now.'he thought as he rushed forward, chidori forming.

Sakura jumped back. There was no way in hell he was going to try and get her with that Chidori again. If he did, he had another thing coming. She ran toward him, forming hand seals. The Uchiha prodigy recognized them as the seals for a fire there was a shocker. He'd never imagined that the pink-haired annoyance would even know a Fire-type jutsu. Hell he'd never even thought she was powerful enough to have a Chakra Nature.

"Fire Style:fire Flower!"

Though he jumped back to avoid it, Sasuke could feel that his enemy hadn't retreated. Instead her subordinates raced through the could not let himself get caught, not by her of all people. The fire engulfe the area in the form of a flower.

"You're more of an idiot than I thought you were Haruno. You should've-what!"

Sasuke was trapped and couldn't move. He struggled to break the restraints but to no avail. Looking down he saw a thick shadow.

"Well this is a surprise. Never thought I'd see your face again."came a voice, followed by a chuckle.

Looking up, his Sharingan orbs saw yet another garbed in the ANBU uniform. Though his face was covered with a mask, he knew that voice. It was the voice of Konoha's laziest Shinobi. Shikamaru Nara. How he became an ANBU he'd never know. Guess they'd make ANBU of anyone these days.

"Target Captured."he whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>-Sakura-<strong>

Sakura had gone back into the village to give her report. She hurried to the Hokage Residence and to Tsunade's office. Before entering she smoothed her clothes and hair, not wanting to make a bad impression or anything. She was an ANBU commander after all.

"Enter."

Her steps were silent as she entered the room. Shizune looked up at her with a blank face, savoring the emotion that would soon come. Emerald met Hazel as they clashed.

"Uchiha Sasuke has been captured."

Outside the door Naruto couldn't believe what he was Sasuke. The man he'd been searching for, hoping to return to the village. He was the person who accepted him first out of all the others. The bonds they shared had been like no other. A bond so strong that even death couldn't pull them apart. According to Sasuke, he'd severed those bonds and had spared his life on a whim that day. All that big talk in the past but now he'd come back like the snake he was, slithering back to beg for utmost mercy. He pondered the reason for his return and who the girl traveling with him was.

"Where are they now?" Tsunade questioned.

The ANBU commander nodded. "The team that captured them has taken them to a secret security facility immediately."

Tsunade smirked to herself. Finally the little bastard had come crawling back. Oh How she wanted to see Ibiki dig into that little mind of his. It would be an enjoyable sight. While she was planning her torture session she sensed something. Tsunade nodded. "Good. Have your team report back immediately after detainment is completed."

Sakura nodded. "Yes ma'am."

The door opened, revealing Naruto. Sakura looked back and couldn't believe he'd heard their conversation. According to Tsunade, he'd been eavesdropping earlier. Unlike earlier his demeanor seemed to have calmed.

"So he's back, huh?"he whispered.

Tsunade didn't like the edge in his voice at all. He must've been up to something. She understood that Sasuke was his best fried at some point in time but he was a Missing Nin and S-rank criminal on global Scale. The crimes he'd committed. The lives he'd taken could never amount to anything Naruto could say to take up for him, absolutely nothing. With crime came consequences. With consequences came a price: Life. That was what you earned out of being a Rogue, hungry for power and vengence. Nothing. It brought you absolutely nothing but emptiness and a death sentence with a bounty on your head. It was nothing to be proud of, nothing that could ever be erased. You would carry it to the grave and even after judgment day, it stayed with you as you burned in Hell's fire for all of eternity.

"Naruto." she began. " I don't know what you're thinking but you can get rid of whatever little plan you've cooked up. It won't work. You can't save him this time."

Naruto shook his head. " That's not it at all."he said softly, a tear sliding down his cheek.

Tsunade was taken aback. Naruto Uzumaki, after all the blood, sweat and tears he'd shed just to bring the Uchiha back to which he failed was glad that he was back? What the hell was wrong with this kid? Did he not understand Global Criminal. Evil little ass-hole?

"Naruto." Sakura whispered.

**Woo! finally finished! This rewrite took a while to do with all the Blocks I've had. The reason for doing this was because one, it was quite BORING and point blank, had nothing to do with anything. I must've been in another world when I wrote it so I decided to rewrite it. So enjoy**!


	4. Resolve

**Hello My Lovelies! I apologize for my long absence but I had a good reason for it. I was rewriting chapter 3 of this fic. Why you ask? The reason for doing this was because one, it was quite BORING and point blank, had nothing to do with anything. I must've been in another world when I wrote it so I decided to rewrite it because I owed to you guys for being such wonderful reviewers. Well enough of my blabbering… onward to another chapter of a Hero Returns. R&R!**

**PS: I recommend that you read the revised chapter 3 before proceeding.**

**Chapter 4 :Resolve**

* * *

><p><strong>-Tsunade-<strong>

Tsunade was not happy. Not happy at all. She slammed a fist onto her desk, causing documents to scatter about the room. The ANBU before her flinched, never having to actually deal with her anger before. It was as the rumors said, 'Horribly terrifiying.' Shizune and TonTon cowered in a corner.

"How could you let this happen!" she demanded, stepping around her now collapsed desk.

The ANBU captain gathered himself and stood to his feet. "The holding area was secured with a 5 seal barrier Milday." he explained. "We'd issued a level one security order, the highest in detainment.I apologize milady."

The Slug-hime glared at them before she calmed herself. "Dismissed." she said through clenched teeth.

The ANBU dispersed and Shizune took a breath, the first she'd taken since the ANBU had arrived with the news. The blonde-haired woman's anger just cost her a new desk and hours worth of reorganizing her office as well as her very important paperwork. Whoop di doo da frickin' day. Like she didn't have enough problems. Shizune sighed. Karma was a Bitch.

"Tsunade-sama." she said. "I'll get someone to bring up a new desk for you."

The Slug-hime just nodded as she faced the window. She had her arms folded and her body language was tensing. Shizune took this as a sign to leave her to think and to calm down. The brown haired kunnoichi was about to leave the room when she heard Tsunade sigh.

"I need Sakura summoned here immediately."

Shizune nodded. "What about Naruto?" she questioned. "Does he need to know?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, Just Sakura." she answered.

* * *

><p><strong>-Academy-<strong>

Sakura sighed to herself. As she closed her book, she smiled. "Class is dismissed for the day." she said with a smile. "Remember to study for your final exams!"

The class cheered as they gathered their books to go home. "Good Bye Sakura-sensei!" the children said as they left.

Sakura waved after them. "See you all tomorrow."she said as she gathered her belongings and prepared to leave for the day.

The door slid open and closed. "Sakura, are you done for the day?"

Turning toward the voice the Jonin laid her eyes on Shizune. She noticed the slight emotion that flashed in her eyes, one of annoyance and the other of worry.

"Is something wrong?"The pink-haired woman questioned.

Shizune shook her head but the emotions in her eyes dominated. "Tsunade-sama has summoned you. It involves a very important matter."

* * *

><p><strong>-Kakashi and Tsunade-<strong>

Kakashi looked at Tsunade with unsurprised eyes. She looked at him with aggravated hazel eyes as if he were mocking her.

"I could've told you that even the strongest Barrier wouldn't have been enough." the silver-haired nin explained.

Tsunade became even more aggravated. "Are you mocking my tactics Kakashi?"she growled.

The Copy Nin put his hads up in defense. "No, Lady-Hokage, you misunderstand." he defended. "What I'm saying is that the Uchiha was trained by Orochimaru himself and there's no telling what else he could've done. He must've escaped to reassess and regroup, obviously not intending to get caught or even come here on some false pretense that he was coming back."

Tsunade sat back in her chair, biting her nail as all truth of the matter played in her mind. It was just as the Fire Daimyo and the Advisors had said. The Uchiha's revenge might just give birth to a the 4th shinobi World War. Of all times, why now? it had takem almost 4 years to repair the village after Pain's destruction. If they got into an even worse situation she didn't know how they were going to make it out. They didn't exactly have the funds to repair it a second time.

"This is quite the predicament." she said aloud.

Outside the door, Shizune warned Sakura of the Hokage's mood. Of course she didn't state why but she just gave a smile and wished her luck. The Emerald eyed kunnoichi nodded before knocking on the door and after a few moments, gained entrance. Kakashi glanced at her for a moment before turning back to face the Hokage.

"Good Afternoon Milady."she greeted with an ever kind smile. "You called for me?"

The slug-hime nodded. "I have some important matters to which I need to address you." she replied, turning to face her former pupil. Sakura caught the distant ring in her voice. It had to be something serious. '_What could it be_?' she wondered. She nodded at her former master's words. "I'm ready to listen."

Tsunade was silent as she turned back to the window, a habit she had when she had to relay serious information. She sighed before taking a breath and turning back toward the woman who had surpassed her. Her hazel eyes analyzed the pinkette as she presented herself with pride while she sat down in her chair, and folded her arms.

"Sakura, I'm not sure if you were ever consulted about this but until this morning at 5 a.m, Uchiha Sasuke and Karin were taken into custody under heavy surveillance."

That caught sakura's attention but didn't hold it for long as she became more interested in the reason why she was called here. She nodded her understanding and for her to continue. This time it was Kakashi who spoke.

"The two were being held in a top secret location, guarded by our best ANBU."

Sakura shot him a look. The copy Nin smirked playfully before rolling his eyes which earned a snicker from his pink-haired commrade.

"As I was saying, The two were held in a Top secret security chamber, guarded by our most capable ANBU." he began. "They were to be Interrogated but unfortunately at about 5 A.M, the two of them mysteriously escaped."

This didn't surprise Sakura. The traitor had learned forbidden things and only Kami knows what else from the evil Snake. Of course he'd have no problem with all the crazy things he'd have up his sleeve. Kakashi and Tsunade waited for a heated reaction from the news of the girl's former teammate. Instead she rolled her eyes and a slight snicker escaped her lips.

"Somehow, to be honest, I expected something like that." she replied.

That earned a suspicious look from her superiors. "That's not what I meant." she defended. "I didn't mean anything by it. When you told me he'd escaped, I knew the ANBU detainment and Security would have used a level one security order but even that wouldn't have been enough. While under Orochimaru's order, I'm sure he learned tons of escape techniques."

Tsunade got aggravated again but this time she had to agree with her. That was something she had not thought about when placing the Five- barrier seal upon the building. She nodded, her hazel eyes dark as they foretold of something even worse than this.

"There is another matter that I want to discuss with you, though this one is more important and it effects the village directly." she began. "I'm not sure if you had figured this out or even realized but Pain's Invasion on Konoha Four years ago was just a diversion."

Now those words made the pinkette's blood start to boil with anger. " A Diversion?"she questioned. "Pardon me If I'm wrong, but Konoha's destruction wasn't just our imagination! For Kami's sake, that bastard put you in a Coma! There is no way that-!"

Tsunade held her hand up. "Be quiet and let me finish."she said before folding her hands in her lap. Sakura obeyed, regainng her composure as she stood up straight. Tsunade cleared her throat before speaking again.

"I believe The Akatsuki just used Konoha as a cover up to make our eyes stray from the true plan which might involve Sasuke Uchiha and possibly the members of Team Taka."

The Haruno woman couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sasuke?" she questioned, thinking she heard wrong. Tsunade watched Sakura's trembling from as she fought with sheer willpower not break out in rage. Her manicured dark red nails dug into her hands, piercing the skin and blood trickling into her palms.

The Godaime's eyes nodded once more. "Yes. I may not know exactly what they are planning but it seems to me that it might involve the village." she explained. "Only having killed Itachi may not have been enough."

She remembered what Sasuke had said that day. He wanted to destroy Konoha but more importantly he wanted to kill Naruto. What Naruto had said that day still made her heart hurt. He'd said that on the day that they would fight, both of them would die and she didn't want that. Though her resolve at the time was weak and frail she had not even begun to understand Naruto's words to Sasuke , but now she understood the true bond between them as her resolve had strengthened. Though not as strong as Naruto's.

The pinkette nodded slowly at the disturbing news. "Naruto right?" she inquired. "What will we do about him? Should I tell him?"

Both Tsunade and Kakashi nodded. "You know as well as I do that you are the only person he'll listen to without getting riled up and going blindly to seek Uchiha."Tsunade explained.

Kakashi nodded. "I'm putting my trust in you that you can handle him delicately but sternly." he explained. Tsunade nodded in agreement as she finished for him. "Once you've told him, I want you to report back here."

Sakura nodded. "Y-yes ma'am. I understand."

* * *

><p><strong>-Naruto-<strong>

Naruto walked alone down the stone path that led to the 3rd Training Ground. He couldn't get his mind to forget yesterday Afternoon. Apparently Sasuke had come back to the village.

_Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Uchiha Sasuke. The man he'd been searching for, hoping to return to the village. He was the person who accepted him first out of all the others. The bonds they shared had been like no other. A bond so strong that even death couldn't pull them apart. According to Sasuke, he'd severed those bonds and had spared his life on a whim that day. All that big talk in the past but now he'd come back like the snake he was, slithering back to beg for utmost mercy. He pondered the reason for his return and who the girl traveling with him was._

**-Flashback-**

_The ANBU dispersed back to their respective stations. Tsunade smirked to herself. Finally the little bastard had come crawling back. Oh How she wanted to see Ibiki dig into that little mind of his. It would be an enjoyable sight. While she was planning her torture session she hadn't heard Naruto speak. Turning to face him, she was met with fiery blue eyes._

_Tsunade didn't like the edge in his voice at all. He must've been up to something. She understood that Sasuke was his best fried at some point in time but he was a Missing Nin and S-rank criminal on global Scale. The crimes he'd committed. The lives he'd taken could never amount to anything Naruto could say to take up for him, absolutely nothing. With crime came consequences. With consequences came a price: Life. That was what you earned out of being a Rogue, hungry for power and vengence. Nothing. It brought you absolutely nothing but emptiness and a death sentence with a bounty on your head. It was nothing to be proud of, nothing that could ever be erased. You would carry it to the grave and even after judgment day, it stayed with you as you burned in Hell's fire for all of eternity._

_"Naruto." she began. " I don't know what you're thinking but you can get rid of whatever little plan you've cooked up. It won't work. You can't save him this time."_

_Naruto shook his head. " That's not it at all." he said softly, a tear sliding down his cheek._

_Tsunade was taken aback. Naruto Uzumaki, after all the blood, sweat and tears he'd shed just to bring the Uchiha back to which he failed was glad that he was back? What the hell was wrong with this kid? Did he not understand Global Criminal? Evil little ass-hole? _

**-End Flashback-**

As he walked, the Jinchuriki's nose picked up a familiar scent. A scent of Bell flowers and Lilies. It smelled wonderful. He recognized the scent but who did it belong to? Upon entering the 3rd Training ground, he came upon a young woman, her back turned to him. The light breeze carried her dark blue hair with its caress. He continued onward towards the grounds, his steps light as he did not want to disturb her. He took a couple more steps as silently as he could but to no avail as he stepped on a leaf, its crunch loud enough to disturb the birds nearby.

"Who's there?" came a voice.

Naruto turned towards the girl who had now drawn a kunai, her Kekkei Genkai activated. He looked at her to see the pearlish white eyes that signified the Hyuuga. The eyes held the deadly Byakugan, a seer of all. Taking the dark blue hair in account, Naruto recognized her as Hyuuga Hinata: The Hyuuga Heiress.

"Hinata!"he said in astonishment. "Is that you?"

The heiress blinked, her Byakugan deactivating as she put her kunai away. A slight blush of embarrassment appeared on her cheeks. She nodded before looking up and into his bright azure eyes that seemed vast much like the sky itself. She smiled.

"Welcome home Naruto-kun." she said softly.

Naruto looked around then his eyes centered on Hinata's appearance. Over the years her Dark Egyptian Blue locks had grown even more since the last time he'd laid eyes on her, now falling just past her waist. His eyes drifted to her outfit which consisted of a form-fitting tank top that stopped just before her bellybutton and some matching capris. In conjunction, the Hyuuga heiress wore fishnet stockings that stopped mid-calf and a fishnet undershirt that stopped mid-elbow but covered her exposed mid-section.

Hinata chewed her lip rather nervously as his eyes scanned her. She looked at him but he didn't seem to notice. The blonde Jinchuriki stared in awe. Ino had finally introduced her to fishnets! Was the world ending? He smiled awkwardly. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to talk to with a girl like her. Much less any girl besides Sakura. Females were another being altogether, almost alien-like. Naruto put his hands behind his head in a lazy pose, looking into the sky.

"Thanks Hinata." he said. "I'm glad to be back."

That brought a smile to the Heiress' face. "That makes me happy. If it weren't for you, our village, our friends and even all of the Great clans would have been destroyed." she said, bowing deeply. "And for that I am truly in your debt."

"Hinata, you don't have to do that." he said, blushing lightly in embarrassment.

The dark haired girl shook her head. "Rightfully, you are the Hero of Konoha and you should be treated a such. I may be the successor to the Hyuuga throne but I'm only here because of you and I'm grateful." she said, her eyes drifting to her watch.

"Well I better get going or I'll be late." she said. "See you later Naruto-kun!"

Naruto waved after her as she disappeared into the distance. He figured he'd get a little training done. What could it hurt? To him training was a stress reliever. He just wish he'd get a mission sometime soon.

**-Sakura-**

* * *

><p>Sakura looked into the sky as she walked, on her way toward the training grounds. It was bright today but in Sakura's eyes it gave a sense of foreboding just like when Pain invaded the village Four years ago. Tsunade had already told her what her thoughts were. She would never forget those words.<p>

-Flashback-

_"You called for me Tsunade-Shishou?" Sakura questioned, closing the door behind her._

_She was met with Tsunade's back as she looked out of the window, something she always did when it was something important that she had to tell her. The wind that day had blown throughout the room with such force that it knocked down the picture of the Yondaime and Sandaime. Sakura presented herself with a slight arrogance as she was ready for Tsunade's speech. The Godaime turned around in her chair, her hands folded as her chin rested on them._

_"Sakura, I'm not sure if you realized but Pain's invasion was nothing but a Diversion."_

_Those words caught Sakura by surprise. "A Diversion?" she questioned. "What do you mean Tsunade-sama? That couldn't have been just some fake to fool us! Konoha was destroyed for Kami's sake!"_

_Tsunade held up a hand. "Be quiet." she said rather calmly." Listen to what I'm telling you."_

_Sakura shut her mouth and regained her compsure. Tsunade took a breath before continuing with her explanation. "Like I said, The Akatsuki used Pain's attack as a means to cover up another plan that may involve Uchiha Sasuske."_

_"Sasuke?"she whispered. "You mean it involves Team Hebi?"_

_Tsunade nodded, her hazel eyes hard. " Yes. I may not know what but they are planning something and it might involve the village."she explained. "Only having killed Itachi may not have been enough."_

_The pinkette nodded slowly. "Naruto right?"she inquired. "What will we do about him? Should I tell him?"_

_The Hokage nodded. "I'm trusting you with that, seeing as you're the only one he'll probably listen to without making a fuss."she replied, standing to her feet. "I'm trusting you with you've told him report back here."_

_Sakura nodded. "Y-yes ma'am."_

**-End Flashback-**

She sighed. She couldn't just waltz up to Naruto and say, 'Sasuke's planning to kill you.' That was harsh and it wasn't her style to be that way with that type of news. She had to be composed and approach him with the utmost respect for his feelings. Naruto wasn't one to blow up about things but when his emotions got into the way it was a different story. The Cherry Blossom prayed that he wouldn't freak out and go Kyuubi on her. As she approached the 3rd Training ground she saw Naruto in the distance training. Well she wouldn't call it training per say, more like a meditation. She approached quietly, being careful not to disturb him.

Naruto sat completely still as he meditated. He opened his eyes to see Sakura kneeling down in front of him. He jumped back, surprised to see her there.

"S-sakura-chan!" he exclaimed. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Sakura frowned then smiled a small smile. "Sorry about that." she said softly.

The blonde in front of her disengaged the Sade Mode and looked up at her with bright azure eyes. He sat down and put his hands behind his head in a lazy gesture. Sakura followed suit as she took her seat beside him. She took a deep breath.

"Naruto." she began. The tone in her voice struck a chord with Naruto. When she used that tone of voice it was usually something serious. He put his arms at his sides and looked at her, into her Emerald orbs. Her eyes seemed troubled.

"Sakura-chan?" he questioned voice soft. "Is something wrong?"

The pink-haired kunnoichi shook her head. "I need to speak with you. It's very important."

He nodded. "Sure Sakura, what's on your mind?"he responded, abandoning his usual suffix for her.

The rosette seemed at a loss of words now that she had to actually tell him of Tsunade's report. She thought of something simple to say that would deliver the blow softly and successfully.

"Tsunade just informed me of some news." she began. "It involves Akatsuki."

That caught Naruto's attention as anger flashed in his eyes. "The Akatsuki. What about them?" he growled.

Sakura flinched at the look in his eye and the tone of his voice. Maybe this would be harder than she thought. Then again he should hear this and she had no right to hide it from him. She inhaled then exhaled before continuing their conversation.

"Tsunade-sama thinks that Pain's attack on Konoha was a diversion to mask an even greater plan that might involve Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto hurried to his feet. "Are you saying my defeating pain was all for nothing!" he growled.

Sakura shook her head slowly, her eyes a bit downcast. "I'm not saying that your defeating pain was for nothing. You saved the entire village! You-!"

Blinded by Anger, Naruto grabbed the woman in front of him by her neck and held her eye-level. Fear consumed Sakura as she looked into the Crimson eyes of the Kyuubi. The last time she'd seen those eyes...was that time on the mission with Captain Yamato. She grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"Naruto, calm down!" she yelled but to no avail.

She reached with her left hand down to her pocket where the paper seal Kakashi had given her was located. She barely nipped it with her fingers but managed to capture it within her grasp and quickly placed it on his forehead. As soon it was placed, the seal compressed the Kyuubi's Chakra. Released from the chokehold, the pink-haired kunnoichi coughed as she gasped for air. If these were the results of her telling him then she had to report back to Tsunade. With that in mind she took one last look at her friend before making a hand sign and disappearing from sight.

* * *

><p><strong>-Kakashi-<strong>

Kakashi approached, having been ordered to seek his former student's location. The foul chakra had slipped through the village like a dark entity ready to strike. Having been the first one to notice, he'd opted to finding Naruto at all means necessary. The silver-haired Nin couldn't even begin to fathom what could've triggered it as he concentrated on making it in time before something were to happen. As the 3rd Training Ground came into view, he noticed the one he was looking for. He landed on his feet just a short distance away.

_'Seems like the Kyuubi was supressed somehow.' _he mused. Then something caught his eye. There was something lying on the ground. He picked it up and turned it over. It was one of the sealing suppressants he'd given to Sakura in case of emergencies if he nor Yamato were present. He turned to look at Naruto as he realized what happened.

Looking closer, Kakashi could see that his student was trembling while staring at his hand. No longer able to sense any presence of the Evil Chakra, the silver-haired Nin let out a breath of relief before kneeling before his student. He looked terrified as if he'd committed the most heinous crime and had received the death penalty.

"Naruto." he coaxed. "What happened here?"

There was no answer at first but Naruto collected himself and drove himself to speak. "Kakashi-sensei...I hurt her." he whispered. "I hurt Sakura-chan again."

The silver-haired Nin was shocked. He didn't think that he would have been conscious enough to remember his actions while enveloped in the Kyuubi's evil chakra. It was remarkable. Naruto continued to quiver with cowardice as he realized exactly what he'd done.

"With these hands, I hurt the woman I care most about." he whispered, voice barely audible. "How could I?"

Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you didn't mean it." he consoled.

-Hokage Office-

Sakura reappeared at Tsunade's office door. She didn't want her master or shizune seeing her like this but she had no other choice. She would deliver her report.

"Enter." came a voice.

The kunnoichi took a deep breath before entering. As she made her way to the desk she could feel Shizune's eyes on her. She'd already noticed the dark abrasions that decorated her neck. Tsunade, being the Medical Prodigy she was, had noticed also.

"Was this the result?" the godaime questioned, closely examining the wounds.

The Haruno woman averted her gaze elsewhere as she nodded at the question. She didn't want to blame Naruto. It wasn't his fault. It was hers. She was the one that felt she could inform him without thinking of the consequences. And they called her smart? She didn't deserve that for making such an idiotic mistake but then again she couldn't help it if she trusted her friends.

"Yes ma'am." she answered. "I thought I could avoid conflict but I was proven wrong. Forgive me Milady."

Tsunade shook her head. "It wasn't your fault." she said. ''It was mine for entrusting you with such a difficult task."

Sakura nodded. "For now, I'll treat your wounds but until then I want you to have a couple of days off. You've been under a lot of stress and I want you to get some rest."

"Yes ma'am."

-Naruto-

Naruto looked at the reflection of himself in the Mirror. His blue eyes were dark, crestfallen as he stared at the Shiki Fujin seal that once marked him as a monster. A dark entity that no one would dare get close to. This monster had hurt one of his closest friends. A monster that was once hated and shunned by the villagers. He was bound by such a curse that he was never to be released. With that knowledge, the images came, once again reminding him of the crime he committed.

**Flashback**

_His anger grew as Sakura informed him of Sasuke's motives. His anger had only continued to escalate as she continued to talk. at that point he'd actually began to tune her voice out and only think of the akatsuki. The betrayals of the Leaf. Uchiha Itachi, the mass murderer of the entire Uchiha clan. Orochimaru, the damnable snake that had corrputed his best friend. Then there was Uchiha Sasuke, his once thought of best friend that only thought of power instead of the real things in life. He'd sullied the name of Uchiha and The Leaf. It was unforgivable!_

_His hands reached for anything, anything that he could inflict this white hot anger upon. Having no control over himself, the Jinchuriki grabbed what was closest and squeezed tightly, wanting to rip whatever it was apart, something he wished to do to that Uchiha. As he did so, he fell deeper and deeper into the abyss that was unconsciousness. It wasn't until that darkness had all but claimed him, that he could hear something calling out to him._

_"Naruto!" the voice screamed._

_The light in Naruto saw past the Rage of the Kyuubi with what little control he'd had over it. And through his eyes he saw his pink-haired friend before being thrown into the never-ending darkness._

**-End Flashback-**

That was all he'd remembered until Kakashi escorted him home. Apparently he'd been out of it. The only thing he was worried about was his friend and how she was doing. The Kyuubi's chakra was a poison to anyone other than himself. It was all he could think about as he plopped onto his bed and lay back, staring at the ceiling before closing his eyes for much needed rest.

* * *

><p><strong>-Elsewhere…..-<strong>

Sasuke looked out of the chakra sealed window. He hadn't been planning for four years only to get captured. He would get his revenge, the sweet revenge he so wished for so that his mind could be out at ease. With Itachi's eyes and as the sole survivor to the Uchiha, he would fight Uzumaki Naruto to the death and this time No one would be able to stop him.

-Chapter 4 END-

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well that's chapter 4. I hope you all enjoyed and will continue to enjoy future chapters. Please review and if you have any ideas or suggestions, pm me.**

**Goodnight and Goodbye, but not forever,**

**-EmikoSakura27-**


	5. Amends

**Title: A Hero Returns**

**Rating:T(may change)**

**Pairing:NaruSaku**

**Summary:Its been four years since Pain's attack on Konoha. Once again Konoha's Savior leaves to become even stronger. What awaits him when he returns? Destruction? Prosperity? Or even Love? That's the puzzling part. Who could ever love a monster?**

**Disclaimer:...sigh...I do not own Naruto...If Idid I'd be kicking back at my beach house right about now.I own my OCs, plots, and writing style!**

* * *

><p>The morning was quiet, peaceful as the birds sang their songs. They were beautiful songs that could only be heard from these beautiful creatures. Sakura opened her eyes as the sun beamed in her face. The pinkette sat up and scratched her head before yawning. She'd actually gotten a good night's sleep for the first time in a few months. It felt pretty good.<p>

She ruffled her hair before getting up and shuffling into the kitchen. A good cup of tea sounded good right now. Slipping into her slippers, she went into the kitchen to make tea.

"I finally have some time off. Now what am I going to do with it?" she thought.

'There is that Jutsu that we've been working on. We've got to perfect it.' Inner Sakura suggested.

Sakura nodded. "You're right. It's top priority if it happens. If they…those two…If Naruto and Sasuke….If Naruto's words were true then I'll have to."

She just hoped that Tsunade would make war preparations just in case that her prediction was true. Then again she didn't wish for another Shinobi world War. Right now the Village was not in any position to have any sort of confrontation between enemy forces, especially not financially.

'I just wish that that day doesn't come.'

* * *

><p><strong>-Naruto-<strong>

Naruto had also gotten up early. He looked at the clock as he pulled his shirt over his head.

'11 o'clock.'he thought. 'Sakura should be up by now.'

Locking the door behind him, The Orange Shinobi walked out into the streets of Konoha. He wondered what he could do to apologize to Sakura without making a complete fool of himself. Sakura was a delicate flower which needed to be handled, in her case, very cautiously. Though named after one of the most famous flowers in japan, the pink-haired woman's fiery temper sometimes earned her the nickname 'Hell's Cherry Blossom.'

He laughed at the thought, remembering all the times he'd suffered her wrath because of something he'd said or an insult towards Sasuke. Sometimes he'd wondered if she still had feelings for him. When it all boiled down to it, after all the things he'd done who could have any kind of friendly emotions towards the cold-hearted bastard? Even he was starting to have his doubts on whether he could ever bring Sasuke back and return to the happy life they'd once had.

He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. Instead he focused on other matters at hand. When he'd lost control yesterday over what Sakura had said, he'd hurt her severely. But she wasn't just some woman that he'd met yesterday, the pink-haired kunnoichi was his friend. His comrade but more importantly she was the one he loved. For years, he'd had the biggest crush on her since they day he'd met her. Now that he'd hurt her for the 2nd time with the Kyuubi's power it hurt him even more and he needed to make up for it.

When he looked up he noticed the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino was Sakura's best friend. Maybe she could shed some light on this dark situation. Entering the shop, the bell sounded.

"I'll be right there!" yelled a voice.

Taking a look around the shop, Naruto noticed that the shop had even more flowers than he remembered. It even looked like it had gotten bigger. _'Things sure have changed in the last 4 years. I'm sure Ino's changed too.' _The platinum blonde in question entered from the back room, tying her apron.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower shop. How may I-?"

Her baby blue eyes gazed into his azure ones. She hadn't seen those eyes since they were nothing but a bright cerulean. Now they had matured into something even more beautiful. Ino found her voice and spoke.

"Naruto?" she whispered. "Is that really you?"

The opposing blonde stared with equal surprise. Ino's baby blues were even brighter than the last time he'd seen her. Her long hair was let down, not bound by a hair band.

"Wow. It's been awhile Ino." he said.

She nodded slowly, astonished at how much he'd changed. The old Naruto was nothing in comparison to the new Naruto who stood before her. He towered over her at about 6'2". His blonde locks framed his face much like that of the late 4th Hokage. She shook her head, leaving her daydreaming state.

"So Naruto, what brings you here to my shop?" she questioned, a bright smile on her face.

The Jinchuuriki looked at Ino with a remorseful face as he thought about what happened yesterday. He straightened. "Ino, I need to ask you something." he said. "Its about Sakura-chan."

* * *

><p><strong>-Karin-<strong>

Karin lagged behind Sasuke. She didn't want to be particularly too close. Her mind was constantly reeling and it began to make her head spin. The mission was still clear in her mind. Sure, it took four years to complete but hell it was all worth it. She took out her Shinobi headband and looked at its shining Village symbol. When would she get to return to her home village, this time to stay? She really hoped this dumb mission would be over soon.

"Hey Sasuke." she called.

He turned his head ever so slightly that their eyes only met for a brief moment. At least he was acknowledging her and not ignoring her which he loved to do on select occasions. How it irritated the living daylights out of her. I mean really, how can a person be so damn anti-social? Lighten up for Kami's sake.

"I think there's a nice little outpost town up ahead. Maybe we should take a rest. I mean, we've been traveling ever since dawn."

Karin could tell from the Uchiha's chakra that he was just as exhausted as she was. Even so she could sense his chakra gaining that darkness again like before. Why? What more did he have to do? Couldn't they just stop all this plotting for revenge and settle down in a nice village? Not that she was sick of being a shinobi but revenge wasn't something she wanted as a career.

"Are you listening to me Sasuke?" she questioned.

The man before her stopped then turned around. Her chest tightened as she stared into the Uchiha's eyes. They burned red with the mangekyo sharingan.

"I will eliminate him from this world, Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

><p><strong>-Naruto-<strong>

The blonde strolled the streets of Konoha. He was on his way to the training grounds where Ino said Sakura would be. He remembered what Ino said back at the shop.

-Flashback-

_The platinum blonde looked up at Naruto. "Well Sakura told me she would be training today when she came by earlier." Ino said with a sigh. "She said it was important so if I were you I wouldn't bother her. Why do you ask?"_

_Naruto's azure eyes softened. "I was thinking of asking her out." he said softly, a light blush on his cheeks which accented the whisker marks upon them. Ino smiled. He might look different but his feelings for sakura hadn't changed. He loved her and honestly he deserved her. She was smart. Beautiful and talented. Everything a man would want. _

"_I'll even help you out since you asked so nicely."_

_Naruto looked at her, the smile gone and his eyes more remorseful. Ino frowned with worry. Why was he so down now? Wasn't he happy about hopefully going on a date? What was up with him._

"_There's something I need to talk to you about."_

_~End Flashback~_

He smiled at the remembrance of Ino's words of encouragement and advice. Reaching the gate to the 3rd Training grounds, he entered and took a look around. The wind was crisp as it blew through the area. He scanned the area for the one he was looking for and found her under a large oak tree which cast shade onto the surrounding area. She sat cross-legged on the ground in a meditation pose, her eyes closed and her hands in two kinds of hand signs. Naruto could look at her all day. Her peaceful look made him feel at ease about what he had to do but at the same time, he didn't want to disturb her.

Inner Sakura sensed the presence outside of her body. Even though she was sparring with her counterpart, her senses were heightened and sharp.

"**It looks like someone is here.' she said.**

Her outer opposite drew back her weapon and gave her darker half a puzzled look. "We can keep going. It's probably just a bird." she said, taking another battle stance.

"**No that isn't it." she said. "I think it's Naruto, judging by that chakra. I can sense it even now while in this mental state."**

Sakura recoiled, sheathing her weapon and relaxing her body. She didn't want to be rude and leave Naruto to just watch her body.

"I can't leave him like that, thinking I'll just wake up." she said, making a hand sign. "Release."

Naruto sat in front of his friend. He would wait until she was finished with her meditation even if it looked as though it was more than that. She'd been like that for a couple of minutes now and he was beginning to worry.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura's body twitched as she re-entered. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with as much air as possible. Having been in that mental state for a long period of time, her breathing had slowed in order to sustain the state. Naruto leaned forward a bit.

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay?" he questioned, alarmed as he patted her back.

The young woman looked up at him and nodded. "I'm fine now. Thank you."

Naruto sighed in relief. She was okay and that was all that mattered. "Hey Sakura-chan, can I ask you something?"

Sakura nodded. "Of course. Go ahead." she responded as she caught her breath.

"I was wondering…If you had anything planned." he said, looking down at her with bright eyes.

Sakura smiled. "Tsunade gave me some time off. Right now, I don't have anything planned. Why do you ask? In the mood for Ichiraku?" she said with a giggle.

Naruto blushed, slipping into old habits. He couldn't remember the last time he'd blushed around her. _'Must be going back to old habits' _he mused.

"Well I was wondering if you would consider going on a date this evening?" he questioned.

Emerald met Azure. Of course Naruto had asked her out before but this time was different. He wasn't shy about it and he was confident. Sure, she turned him down in the past but it wasn't because she didn't like him. Her admiration of Sasuke blinded her from seeing anyone other than the arrogant prick. Damn. Had she been stupid or what?

"Of course. I'd be happy to." she replied, giving her best of smiles as she ignored the pain.

Oblivious to her words, Naruto rambled on. " If you don't want to I understand Sakura-chan and I won't force you. It's your decision. I mean-!"

"Naruto! I said yes!" Sakura hissed, becoming aggravated.

The Jinchuriki stopped his prattling after finally realizing that she'd answered his question. He couldn't believe his ears. She'd said yes! That three letter word that he'd been wanting to hear for forever. She truly did not know how much this meant to him. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Was he really just that happy because she'd said yes? If she'd known that was how he was going to react, she would've said yes a long time ago.

"I'll come pick you up about 7. Is that ok?" he questioned, barely able to contain his excitement.

Sakura nodded. "That's fine. I'll see you this evening then."

Naruto nodded. " See you tonight Sakura-chan!" he yelled over his shoulder as he left the grounds.

* * *

><p><strong>-Ino-<strong>

Ino sighed. She was bored. The flower shop had few visitors today.

"I wonder what's up." she whispered to herself as she grabbed a magazine from under the counter. It was the only thing she could do to pass the time.

The door opened and the bell chimed. '_Aw. This was my favorite magazine.' _she inwardly pouted. When she looked up, she was met with soft lips and an arm around her back which drew her in to the sudden action. It had happened all too fast and her head swam. Ino forced herself backwards and detached herself from whomever had latched themselves onto her.

"What the-! Who the hell do you think you are! I swear-!" she yelled but was silenced once again, this time with a finger against her lips.

Ino looked into the dark eyes of Sai. That made her even angrier. She reached up to strangle him but he held her wrists down. "Calm down. A beauty like you shouldn't be getting so worked up. It was only a kiss." he said with amusement, dripping from his voice.

The blonde blushed. "I hate you so much right now…" she hissed. "…You shouldn't kiss people in broad daylight."

Sai chuckled. " I love it when you're mad. It makes you even more attractive." he said softly.

* * *

><p><strong>-Sakura-<strong>

The pink-haired woman was on her way back home. The day was winding down into late afternoon and she had to get ready for her date tonight. Nearing her apartment complex, she decided to take a detour to the Yamanaka flower shop. She needed help with something and Ino was very good at it. Taking a breath, she entered into the shop, the bell jingling.

At the counter, stood a smiling Sai. Sakura was unsure why he was here but would greet him anyway. "Good Afternoon Sai." she greeted. "Where's Ino?"

Sai jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "She went to get something. She'll be back shortly." he replied. "In the meantime, can I ask you something Sakura-san?"

Sakura nodded. "Sure. What is it?" she said as she leaned on the counter. Sai stepped around the counter, untying the apron and tossing it onto the counter. He then grabbed her by the hand and gently tugged her outside. "Please hear me out, Sakura-san." he whispered. "And please don't laugh."

"I'll hear you out and I promise not to laugh." she said, emerald orbs filled with promise. Sai relaxed. "I was wondering if you could teach me how to make a bento. I've been wanting to give Ino-san something for awhile now and homemade things have more value than anything store bought."

Sakura smiled. He was really getting serious about Ino. They'd been dating for a couple months and Ino had told her how romantic he was and how respecting he was of her. He'd changed drastically since that fated day that he was assigned to team kakashi, formerly known as squad seven. She thought for a moment. She had that date in a couple hours and she had to get ready.

"I would help you today but I have a date with Naruto in a couple of hours." she responded. Sai looked a bit disappointed. "Hey don't look like that. Tsunade gave me some time off. I'll be able to help you bright and early tomorrow morning. How does that sound?" She replied, giving her softest smile.

Sai nodded. "Thank you Sakura-san. This means a lot to me."

"No problem. Any time Sai. Remember tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. I look forward to teaching you."

With that, Sai turned to go back into the shop. Sakura grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, can you ask Ino if she could come by my apartment at about 6:30 this evening?"

Sai nodded once more. "Sure, I'll tell her that."

* * *

><p><strong>-Naruto-<strong>

The blonde smiled to himself. Time was quickly winding down to his much anticipation. He couldn't wait! Ino's words still rang in his head clear as day.

-Flashback-

"_Well Naruto, a girl's heart is fragile and even the slightest insult can shatter it. If I know Sakura, she'll flip if you insult her." she explained._

_The blonde nodded. "So what should I do?" he questioned, eager to learn._

_Ino nodded. "Constantly complimenting a girl is not the way to one's heart. That's where most men get it wrong. Of course girls love to get compliments but don't overdo it. Endless flattery can bore a girl and her interest with you will decrease drastically."_

_Naruto nodded, intrigued with her words. She was good with advice. She knew Sakura like the back of her hand and that was more than enough. "Sakura is the perfect example. If she gets complimented too much she'll become aggravated. Another thing is conversation. Keep a conversation going. Don't just talk about yourself. Be creative."_

"_Conversation huh?" he sighed. Ino smiled. "You're creative so I'm sure you'll do fine. Now on to table manners…."_

_-End flash back-_

Now here he was, nervous as hell. It was currently 5:29 pm and that made it even worse. He was an emotional wreck. His azure orbs went to look at the clock once more. Now it was 5:30. Naruto went to get ready. 'Just remember what Ino said'

Her advice was more than helpful seeing as how this was his very first date. In his earlier years with Ero-sennin, the old coot tried to get him on a date. Of course, he'd want to reserve his first date for the girl he'd truly and whole-heartedly loved, Haruno Sakura. There was no mistaking it, she was the one he would hopefully one day marry. If this date went over well, it could possibly lead to another and maybe even something more. The thought made him blush. If he could accomplish that, he could become hokage with no problem and die a happy man.

* * *

><p><strong>-FlowerShop-<strong>

Business at the flower shop had finally died down and the shop was closed for the day. Ino was clearing the register and putting all that they'd earned into a safe box so she could give it to her mother. Her mother came into the front room.

"Ino dear, didn't Sakura need you for something? Shouldn't you be leaving now? "she questioned. "I'll close up. When you come back, just use the back door."

The platinum blonde nodded. "Do you want to come Sai or are you going home?" Ino questioned.

The dark-haired man smiled at her. "I think I'll help your mother clean up. I'll wait for you." he said softly, intertwining his hand with hers.

Yuriko watched with a smile. Her daughter had finally found someone that loved her. It was kind of cute and she hoped they would be able to stay together for a long time.

"That would be nice Sai-kun, Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>-Sakura-<strong>

She sighed as she waited for Ino to come. Something like this was just not her thing. In the meantime she had picked out what she was going to wear and was now focusing on her hairdo. What looked good on her? She couldn't decide as she sat at her vanity and picked up the hairbrush before running it through her pink locks. The doorbell rang and she jumped. Why was she so jittery? It was just a date.

"I'll be right there!" she said as she tossed the brush aside.

The pinkette unlocked the locks and opened the door to see Ino. She quickly welcomed her in and closed the door. Ino took a look at her best friend. She was beautiful. Her outfit consisted of a cashmere off the shoulder sweater and white pants. They were crisp with creases.

"Damn Sakura. You look good." Ino breathed.

The compliment made the pinkette blush. " Thanks Ino."

Ino looked around. "Well you obviously don't need my help. Whoever this lucky guy is, he'll be very impressed without my help." she said turning to leave.

Sakura grabbed her best friend by the hand. "Could you please do my make-up for me?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow but smirked. 'So that's what she wanted.' she mused. 'Boy, is Naruto in for a surprise when he sees her. "Sure, I'll do it for you. Sit in front of the mirror."

* * *

><p><strong>-Naruto &amp; Sakura-<strong>

Here he was, standing at her doorstep, shaking and anticipating seeing Sakura. He looked at his watch for what had to be the thousandth time: 7:00 sharp. He took a deep breath andraised his hand, knocking on the door. There was no turning back now.

Naruto smoothed his shirt and checked himself over nodding mentally. Perfectly fine. 'Here goes .' he thought as he calmed himself down. The door opened to reveal the one he'd been looking forward to seeing all evening. His azure eyes widened in surprise.

"Sakura-chan…wow just…wow…." Naruto said with a dumbfounded look on his face. "….You look absolutely gorgeous."

The cherry blossom blushed a bright shade of red as she closed and locked the door behind her. "You don't look bad yourself Naruto." she said softly, traces of blush still on her cheeks.

Naruto smiled. "Shall we?" he said as he offered his arm to her.

_'Is this really Naruto?'_ she thought as she threaded her arm through his. Considering that this was actually her 2nd date ever, believe or not, something in her hoped that it wasn't going to be the last either.

'It can't be. He seems different. I like different.' her inner replied.

Sakura barely noticed her inner self talking to her as she focused on other things such as her date.

_'It's like he's been reborn or something. It's kind of nice.'_ responded Sakura.

Inner Sakura giggled. She giggled! Outer Sakura thought it quite odd. Did her darker half like seeing her embarrassed or could it be that she had a crush on the jinchuriki?

She said nothing more and promised to be quiet so that her brighter half could enjoy this date. Sakura looked up to see that they'd come to a restaurant but she couldn't even recognize it, having never seen it before. Then again, with all the running around she'd been doing lately she wasn't surprised that she'd been oblivious to a new restaurant. It was even more of a surprise when he held the door open for her.

"Ladies first." Naruto said smiling at her. This was getting really odd….

Sakura accepted the invitation and entered first with Naruto who followed behind her. Inside the lights were dimmed but each table and booth was lit with tea-lights or candles which set a romantic atmosphere. There was even a band playing soft music. It looked like a very expensive restaurant and she was more than amazed. Naruto had matured drastically over the last four years.

A waiter escorted them to a booth where there was an elegant overview of the ascending moon and the twinkling stars. "Beautiful." Sakura whispered as she slid into the booth. The moonlight added something to the even more lovely candlelight.

Naruto found that he was unable to look away from her. She was just too gorgeous. Her long pink curls were tied back in a ponytail and her bangs were secured with a sea foam green headband to match her sweater. His eyes drifted to what would've been the injuries he'd inflicted but because of the dim lighting he was unable to see them clearly. 'That's probably a good thing or I'd feel even worse.' he thought as he inhaled then exhaled.

Sakura took the chance to notice his attire. He wore a nice orange long-sleeve button up dress shirt. On the way to the restaurant he'd also been wearing black pants and matching shoes. Even she had to admit he looked good in that favorite color of his, whatever it might be.

"Hey Sakura-chan….."he said, his eyes analyzing her. If Sakura didn't know any better she could've sworn Naruto's nose wrinkled in disapproval.

"What is it?" she growled, feeling a bit offended that he was looking at her like that.

The blonde noticed the acidic tone to her voice. He'd treaded into murder territory. He shook his head, hands up in defense. "…..No Sakura-chan, it's not what you think. I would never insult you. But there is something bothering me." he said softly as he reached up and toward her.

Sakura found her self holding her breath. What was he about to do? His hand brushed her face as it passed. He pulled back, bringing a light green hair scrunchie with him. Her soft pink curls tumbled down her back, a couple of strands coming to rest on her shoulders.

"I like it when your hair is down. It brings out your eyes." he said softly, his voice silky and smooth.

Sakura averted her eyes as her a light blush appeared on her cheeks. No one had given her compliments like that before. Most guys hated her pink hair and therefore used it as an excuse not to ask her out. The only other person she'd ever been on a date was Lee who loved her to pieces and wouldn't give up until he'd won her heart.

"What will the two of you be having this evening?" he questioned. "….Shall I recommend one of our finest wines?"

Both scanned their menus for possible choices. "Water is fine." Sakura answered quickly, looking up from her menu. She and Sake had a bad experience when Tsunade insisted she'd drink it one night when they'd gone out to celebrate her Jonin appointment. She'd never forget how embarrassed she was at how drunk she'd gotten on only two cups of the stupid liquid. Now alcohol in general was not her forte for fear of the resulting consequences.

While in her careful thinking Naruto had ordered whatever he was going to have. "Very well, I shall return with your drinks in a moment." The waiter said as he walked away swiftly.

Her mind wandered aimlessly and a conflict that had been bothering her arose. "Naruto, there's something I need to say." The blonde set his eyes on her, all of his attention centered on her. What did she have to say? He became very curious. Her emerald eyes wandered a bit before settling onto him. "I wanted to apologize if I upset you yesterday. I-" She was silenced with a finger to her lips.

Her eyes questioned his actions and wanted to know why he'd silenced her. She just wanted to get this off her chest. Was that so hard? Was it so hard to listen to? Then she realized that just hearing that might've been painful on his end too. "Naru-." she tried to say but was cut off when he took her hands into his own.

The sudden action made her blush. His azure eyes were shadowed with the dimmed lighting that he was almost intimidating. Anyone else would've mistaken that he was proposing to her but she knew better. "Listen to me Sakura-chan. You have no right to apologize to me. If anyone, I should be apologizing to you." he said softly, sincerity in his voice.

For some odd reason, the pinkette began to feel guilty as his words rang in her head. The thing was, she was feeling guilty because she tried to apologize. That's just how hard his words had struck her. She felt like she'd just gotten scolded by Tsunade and that was saying something. For now, she'd shut up and let him talk. There was always an opportunity to bring it back up and apologize properly. His grip on her hands tightened.

"I promise I'll make it up to you." he said, a sparkling smile appearing on his face.

Well that made her feel a little better but she decided that the situation could wait. This was a date, not a pity party. The waiter returned with their drinks and just as he'd set her glass of water down, she'd swiped it and taken a large chug. Naruto raised an eyebrow at her action. "Are you okay?" he questioned, concerned for her.

* * *

><p><strong>-Ino-<strong>

The mind jutsu user went back to the flower shop which used to be her home. She'd moved out and got her own place. Sai was waiting for her and to be honest, she was tired. At the same time she wondered how the date was going on. Hopefully Naruto had been a gentlemen and followed her advice. Having loved Sakura for a long time, was not enough to capture her heart just like that. This type of thing had to be handled with finesse, not the sloppiness the Uzumaki was known for.

"Naruto, you better not do anything stupid or you'll miss your chance. This is your once-in-a lifetime gamble!" she said to no one in particular, clenching her fist and looking up at the moon.

Did she just say what she'd thought she said? Once in a lifetime gamble? She sighed. She'd been hanging around Tsunade and Sakura for way too long.

* * *

><p><strong>-Naruto &amp; Sakura-<strong>

The two polar opposites finally found something they could talk about. Naruto wiped a tear from his eye, one that had gathered because he'd been laughing so hard.

"Remember the time you and Sasuke got stuck together during that mission?" sakura questioned with a giggle.

Naruto closed his eyes, remembering how they'd gotten caught in the enemy's chakra and couldn't get loose. Though the mention of Sasuke used to be a sore subject, they could now talk openly about it. Naruto laughed as his mind reeled to the memory.

He and Sasuke just so happened to kiss for the 2nd time which sent his skin crawling. He was not very fond of that happening. Sakura read his facial expression as clear as day. She laughed, clutching her sides.

"I…"she said."…..I remember that!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I don't think its amusing that you laugh at my pain." he muttered, heartbroken.

Sakura waved him off, wiping a tear from her eye. "Its not that. Its just that I haven't been able to laugh about anything concerning Sasuke. I always found myself wishing I could've done more in trying to get him back."

Naruto frowned slightly at her words. For four years she'd been blaming herself for not being able to bring him back, not him. Because she had blamed her self she'd become stronger so she could aid in bringing him home where he belonged. In his eyes, that meant that Sakura had always considered herself weak, no matter who told her otherwise.

The waiter reappeared at their table. "The special for you and the grilled fish for you miss." he said. "Also a bottle of white wine. Please enjoy your meal."

The man had poured wine into their glasses. Sakura stared at it like some strange entity. Naruto took a sip of the chilled liquid. It was sweet.

"You should try it Sakura-chan. It's pretty good." he said with a smile.

The Medical Nin looked at him like he'd grown a second head. Did Jiraiya get to him just like Tsunade had gotten to her? She surely hoped not. "I'll just stick to my water." she replied as she picked up her chopsticks.

She took a bite of her fish. "This is delicious!" she squeaked. "How's yours?"

Naruto nodded at her question because his mouth was full. Sakura found herself smiling again. This was the first time she could relax in over four months of working double shifts and late shifts.

'**Oh well. This is a nice change of pace from our hectic days at the hospital. It really calms the soul.' said inner Sakura. 'Who knew konoha's hyperactive knuckleheaded Ninja was such a romantic?'**

Sakura rolled her eyes. 'Its probably because of that time he spent with Jiraiya-sama and kakashi-sensei. They're such big pervs.'

'**You're right about that.' Inner Sakura said with a laugh. 'I hope he doesn't turn out like that.'**

Sakura smirked to herself as she poured a small bit of soy sauce over her rice before taking a couple of big bites. Naruto had been strangely quiet which was strange for Naruto who was a sloppy eater. When she looked up, he was staring at her.

"Yes?"

Naruto just smied at her. She was such a beautiful woman. If only he could tell her that for the rest of her life. But in all honesty, she would never consider the idea.

'**Before you can even think of that, you have to get a 2****nd**** date kit.' said a deep and powerful voice.**

'What the-?' he thought. 'Kyuubi, is that you?'

'**Who else did you think it was?' answered the fox.**

'Shut it you stupid fox.'

From that point on the junchuriki ignored the fox spirit. The waiter came back and placed the folded bill holder onto the table. He took a look at it and if his eyes could get any bigger, they'd pop. There were way too many zeros on that paper. He reached into his pocket.

'Help me out here Gama-chan.' he silently prayed, opening it.

Sakura looked up from her fingers and noticed the sour look on his face. "Something wrong?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

'This is bad.' thought Naruto as he sighed.

"Sakura-chan…."he said softly, rubbing the back of his head. "….Would mind lending me 5,000 ryo?"

Sakura stared at him like he really had grown a 2nd head. Her eye twitched.

"You…want me…to do…WHAT!" she snapped.

Did he really expect her to pay when _he _was the one who asked _her _out? She grumbled as she took out her wallet. "Here I was, thinking you had grown up but you're just the same old Naruto from four years ago." she growled. "You haven't changed." she said as she slammed the money down on the table and stormed out of the restaurant.

'And there goes that second date…' said the kyuubi. '…Right out the window.'

The blonde paid the bill and hurried after his pink-haired date. Fortunately she was leaning against a tree, her arms crossed. He could tell she was fuming and pissed to oblivion. Why did this special day have to have a sour ending?

Sakura looked up to see him. Just the thought made her blood boil. Who in their right mind asks their date to pay on the first date? She turned on her heels and walked away.

"Come on Sakura-chan. Please don't be mad." he pleaded

'**There's no way she'll change her mind now. That temper is something else.' said the kyuubi.**

"No means No Naruto." she growled. "And I mean it!"

Naruto followed after her. How could have done something so stupid? When she looked back at him, Sakura felt a pang of guilt.

'Its not like he's had any missions in the last four years. There was no way he could earn any money. Maybe I was too quick to judge…' she thought.

'**Like Hell you were! Give it to him straight! A nice blow to the head ought to do the trick.' raged Inner Sakura.**

Sakura sweat dropped. 'You just keep getting more Violent don't you? Besides I think I should give him a 2nd chance.'

"Hey Naruto." she said, turning to face him.

The blonde picked his head up to look at her. The poor man looked like he had lost his puppy. It made her feel even worse.

"What you did might've been a bit selfish but It was still sweet of you to take me to a place like this even though you didn't have the money. I've decided to give you a second chance."

His eyes sparkled. "Really Sakura-chan?" he asked, clasping her hands between his own. "you mean it?"

Sakura blushed again but turned her head and nodded. What was this odd fluttery feeling inside? Did she have feelings for him, Naruto Uzumaki? She pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

"Yeah yeah." she mumbled, looking at her watch "C'mon, lets go home. It's already…."

Naruto looked over her shoulder so he could see the time. "What's wrong?"

"…..It's 10:30." the cherry blossom breathed.

Naruto smiled a goofy grin. "I guess I better get you home then."

They'd stayed out so late enjoying each other's company. It really helped keep her mind off of the upcoming battle that would surely be devastating. As they walked, she looked out of the corner of her eye at him and remembered his words.

**-Flashback-**

_'You saw it didn't you Sasuke? If you and I fight….."_

_Kakashi had looked on with frightened eyes as he awaited those last words. Sakura also watched with terrified eyes._

_"….We'll both die."_

**-End Flashback-**

Even now those words made her heart hurt. She'd already lost one teammate to revenge and she'd possibly lose both of them to death and that was something she wouldn't be able to take. Naruto knew exactly what she was thinking. How could she not worry about such an important thing like that?

"You shouldn't be thinking about things like that right now. We're on a date remember?" he said with a bright smile, his azure eyes twinkling in the moonlight.

Sakura nodded slowly. "Y-you're right."

It was only then that she realized the glimmer of sadness behind those twinkling eyes. She knew that what was to come could not avoided. Sasuke had to be stopped at any and all costs and there was nothing they could do. That's what upset Sakura most. They couldn't just let someone who saved Konoha too many times to count, die just like that. What were they thinking?

Looking up once more, she realized they had arrived at her apartment complex. "Well this is my stop." she said with a laugh. Without all the dreadful thinking, she'd been doing, Sakura actually had fun. On the inside, inside her heart of hearts, she did not want this to end. It was the most fun she'd had in years.

"I really had a great time tonight." the pinkette said, turning to face him.

He smiled that all too famous smile, rbbing the back of his head nervously. "I did too Sakura-chan. It's been ages since I laughed so hard." Naruto said with a chuckle and a light blush.

Sakura smiled a small smile . "Have a good night." she said softly.

Naruto nodded., taking a couple steps closer "Good Night, Sakura-chan." he said softly, accompanied by a light kiss on the cheek. He pulled back and looked at the woman he loved dearly.

Konoha's cherry blossom stared, astonished at what just happened. A dark red blush creeps onto her cheeks. Her heart thumped, racing a mile a minute. He kissed her! Naruto Uzumaki kissed her! Was she drunk? Sakura inhaled before finding her voice.

"Good Night Naruto." she said softly,turning to go inside the building.

Naruto looked after her, smiling Inwardly. He was glad he'd taken advice from Ino.

* * *

><p><strong>Well that's a way to make amends isn't it? Haha. Well that makes this Five chapters. This WAS a filler chapter but it still had signifigance to the main plot. I wonder if you know what's going to happen hmmm? I bet you can't. Well this was a long chapter, 31 pages to be exact. I worked my ass off. My next update won't be for awhile since I plan to not neglect my former writing style as I did with this chapter. I hope you're prepared.<strong>

Oh and _**Please Review**_ because it's the readers who decide whether i update or not. ^^ Jane!

**-EmikoSakura27-**


	6. Progress

**First of all, I would like to thank Shadow2700 for helping me. Without his help, I would've been in the dark and this chapter wouldn't have been posted anytime soon, let alone revised. He's helped me out of some very tough spots and quite frankly, through some of my weak points. I also want to apologize for my long absence due to school and work. I also lost my chapter files in a hard drive failure so I've been trying to rewrite them from scratch. I hope you can forgive me.**

* * *

><p>Hazel eyes watched over the village like the fire shadow she was. Her presence of protection blanketed the perimeter. It was her job to ensure safety whenever a threat arose. No longer was she the heavy gambler she had been in her prime, now only going out when the occasion arose.<p>

Nowadays, she had been on top of her duties like she would any cup of sake. Tsunade was determined if not diligent to finish her work on time so that she had the chance to patrol the outskirts herself. Shizune had been against the idea, saying that she should send an Anbu squad instead of taking a risk like that. The Slug-hime just waved her off with a hand of annoyance.

"_It would make me feel much better If I, the Godaime, were to personally scout the outskirts myself. I want the citizens of the leaf to be able to rest well at night, knowing that their Hokage was keeping them safe." she'd explained._

_Shizune looked down at her mistress. She was the one who had taught her everything she now knew. She was the one that never even dreamed of becoming hokage, an honorable position once upheld by her Grandfather, the first Hokage and founder of the Leaf._

"_I understand Tsunade-sama. As Hokage, do as you see fit."_

Shizune smiled at the memory. Tsunade had come a long way, carrying the pride of her Grandfathers legacy. It also reminded her of her uncle, whom like Tsunade's younger brother had once dreamed the dream of becoming Hokage. While in her musing, The blonde had strode out of the room. Shizune didn't bother by following, thinking that she'd needed a little alone time and went back to her own office.

Meanwhile Tsunade sat upon the 1st Hokage's stone face. Her ancestors could curse her all they wanted and she wouldn't budge from the sacred monument.

"Grandfather." she whispered to no one in particular.

She had to laugh at herself. She really must've been losing it. Now she was talking to inanimate objects. Shaking her head, she brushed that thought off. This inanimate object was not just a statue, it was the proof of the blood sweat and tears her Grandfather had shed in order to create and protect this village.

"Another Danger has threatened us once more." she said, "The only thing about it is that its a Rogue-Nin of the Leaf. This Man is an Uchiha, a descendant of the same clan who together with our clan, built the Hidden Leaf.

Tsunade sighed. "I fear that Pain's invasion will be nothing compared to this and I can't be sure if we'll lose them both, the village or..." she whispered, hugging her knees to her chest.

She waited as if for her Grandfather to reply. The Senju descendant just smirked. "I knew you wouldn't answer me but It made me feel better about this situation."

With that said, the Hokage hopped down from the monument and went on her way to her morning patrol.

"I will protect this village at any and all costs."

She wasn't going to fall into a coma like last time and not see the battle to its end. This time, she wouldn't falter. She would give it her all, 200% or more. Hell, she'd even give her life a thousand times over just to ensure the safety of the village. Tsunade was the granddaughter of the 1st Hokage and the Grand Niece of the 2nd Hokage. They were both Hokage and she was no different, the first of female Hokage.

"When the time comes, I'll know what to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Training Ground 3<strong>

The sun rose high in the sky, its bright rays signaling early afternoon. There were clear blue skies and birds singing their wonderful songs. It was the perfect day for training. Under a tree, in the 3rd Training area a certain pink-haired kunnoichi worked vigorously.

She concentrated and focused, centering her chakra into her hands and out of her finger tips. Pulling back ever so slightly, she kneaded her chakra into thin strings. Thinning them out was the hardest part, if she needed to be able to use technique. The chakra strings had to be thin enough to be used with precision while in the body.

It wasn't the Chakra scalpel that she used in her operations. No, this was something even more advanced. Something that she herself created. Whether she created it or not didn't matter. What mattered was if she could perfect it and finally be able to use it in the upcoming battle.

_'Almost got it!' she thought, 'Almost there!'_

The pink-haired kunnoichi bit her lip. Her muscles were tensing, setting off a couple of spasms from being overworked. She decided to take a break. Sighing, Sakura sat against a tree and looked up at the sky. There wasn't much time left to train or get stronger with only a couple weeks remaining. If she knew Sasuke, like she thought she did, he wouldn't waste any time putting together some kind of army. Of course, Tsunade had already taken appropriate counter measures just as she had.

"I wonder how Naruto's training is going". she thought aloud.

The pinkette actually found herself smiling at the thought. She would've loved to watch him train and to tell him to do his best. Although it wasn't like she needed to tell him that when he already did his best and worked hard.

"Hey there Sakura-chan." said a voice.

_'That sounded like Naruto's voice.' I must be hearing things. _she mused.

"Sakura-chan." the voice said again.

Sakura looked up to see who called her for a second time. She was met with blonde hair, azure eyes and that unforgettable smile. It really had been Naruto.

Oh Naruto." she said softly, "Its you."

The Orange Shinobi sat down beside her. He looked her over and could easily see that she had been training just like he had. Her skin glistened with sweat and her long pink hair was tied back in a sloppy ponytail.

"Are you done with your training for the day?" she questioned, wondering why he was here.

Naruto blushed lightly and his eyes showed something that she couldn't comprehend. He wore a sheepish smile and scratched his cheek before looking over at her.

"I was wondering if we could... If you and I …..if you'd like to train with me." he said, his voice soft.

Sakura was a bit surprised. For the past few weeks he hadn't asked her anything like that. Of course there was their date last night but what did he mean by train? There was no way in hell she would be able to keep up with him. Even though she'd grown stronger and became a jonin with much more chakra than her chuunin days, she still couldn't hope to last long enough in a training session with him. His chakra was wow. There was no other way to describe such power.

"I don't know." she said with uncertainty, " Are you sure about this?"

Naruto took her words into consideration. Her wounds from before had almost healed and he was glad for that but he could possibly hurt her again or worse. Even so she knew that and considered his feelings.

The blonde jinchuriki nodded. "I'm sure." he said with a smile, "I'll even go easy on you Sakura-chan."

A vein throbbed in her forehead and a devious smirk crossed her lips as she grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close. Naruto swallowed, fearing her wrath. He didn't exactly like the feral smile on her face. That was the smile of Hells Cherry Blossom.

"Let's see who takes it easy on who Naruto Uzumaki." she growled.

* * *

><p><strong>-The Hospital-<strong>

Ino was getting rather annoyed. This patient of hers wouldn't listen to her. The eight year old girl had just gone through major heart surgery a couple of weeks ago and was still recovering.

In addition, the girl had also had a valve replacement surgery. Her attending medic had also been her surgeon, but unfortunately she had been given some leave time as ordered by Tsunade.

"I don't want you as my nurse."the little girl growled.

Ino sighed. "Well Sakura wouldn't like if she came back and you weren't getting any better. Now if she knew you were refusing to take your meds what do you think she'd say?"Ino scolded.

Hana's face dropped. "She wouldn't be very happy." she said softly.

Ino nodded. "Thats right." she said soothingly, "And we wouldn't want to make her unhappy, right?"

The little girl nodded as she took the medication from Ino's hand and looked at it before taking them. Ino smiled as she handed her some water to drink. After that was done, Ino checked her vitals and heart monitor. It seemed that everything was healing correctly and the process was going smoothly. There had been no complications and she was more than happy.

"When do you think will return?" Hana questioned.

Ino finished up her last few checks before turning to ther girl. "If I'm correct, she should be returning tomorrow so be a good girl and await her return."

Hana nodded. "Yes ma'am." she said with a smile.

Ino smiled at her before leaving the room and returning to the nurse's station. She breathed a sigh of relief as she returned Hana's medical chart. Shizune had also been returning a few medical charts herself when she'd heard the blonde's sigh of alleviation.

"Something troubling you Ino?" she questioned.

The blonde-haired young woman just leaned against the desk. "I wish Tsunade would just take Sakura off leave already." she said, "Her patients are getting antsy."

Shizune laughed. "Working in the pediatric ward can be challenging at times but its also fun."

Shizune could've sworn Ino's face turned green at the mention of fun. She just patted her back and gave her a reassuring smile.

"It'll be alright." she said, "Just take baby steps so you don't get overwhelmed."

Ino nodded, her lips turning up in a smile. She had to laugh at herself. Shizune scooted closer to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I heard about your little matchmaker scheme." she said.

The blonde turned to her. "What did you hear?" she questioned.

The brunette smiled. "Well I wouldn't say I heard..." she said, "Its more like I saw with my own eyes."

Ino was more then intrigued and gave Shizune her full attention. "I'm listening."

Shizune nodded. "Well I'd decided to check out the new resturant that just opened up and I saw Naruto and Sakura together." she began, "They seemed to be having a wonderful time. They were laughing like they hadn't laughed in years. It was nice to see them enjoying eachother's company."

Ino could've squealed like a fangirl. This news was like glorious music to her ears! So Naruto had taken her advice and used it to his advantage. She couldn't be more proud! Shizune found the sparkle in Ino's eyes ot be a little disturbing.

"I'm very glad." Ino said, "Those two deserve eachother."

* * *

><p><strong>Suna<strong>

Just as the Leaf had been preparing for war, their allies were also getting ready to aide them just as they'd done years before. The sand, one of the allied nations and closest ally to the leaf was one of them. As Kazekage, Gaara had been monitoring the preparations. His sister had been traveling between both villages delivering war preparations and assignments. Of course, he didn't like taking her away from her home in the Leaf anymore than he did taking her away from her fiance.

Temari looked down at her brother with weary aquamarine eyes. She'd been running around constantly and it was slowly taking its toll on her. She pulled a scroll out of her sleeve and placed it in the Kazekage's hands.

"Here's the platoon assignments for each village." she explained, "It contains each division leader and co-leader as well as those who will make up each division."

Gaara didn't even look at the scroll as he placed it on the desk and continued to look up at his sister. She was obviously too tired to add in a complaint as she usually did. His light blue eyes held sympathy for her.

"Temari, you should get some rest." he said softly, "After you've done that, you should return home in order to prepare for the Konoha Assault. In a couple of days, the allied forces will arrive. Tell the Hokage that."

The Older of the Sand Siblings looked down at the younger sibling. Gaara, her brother-no the Kazekage had become a leader. At the same time, it was like he was her older sibling.

"But who will-?" she began to ask.

Gaara held a hand up. "I'll have Matsuri resume her duty as Governess of the Sand."

"Alright." she said, a smile pulling at her lips, "I'll leave tomorrow. But the next time we see each other we'll be standing on the battlefield, victorious."

The kazekage smiled as he watched his sister turn on her heels and went for the door. "Yes we will."

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto &amp; Sakura<strong>

Naruto Uzumaki trembled as he looked into the eyes of hell itself. These eyes were emerald in color and pink hair accompanied them. Hells Cherry Blossom simply flicked him in the forehead which sent him a couple of yards away. Luckily he was flexible and managed to land on his feet.

He took a battle stance, having enraged the most feared woman among the former konoha 11. Of course, he didn't mean to act superior to her or anything. Like any friend, Naruto always wanted to make sure a fight was fair between comrades. Why did she have to take it the wrong way?

**What is **_**wrong**_**with her?**asked the Kyuubi.

_'Shes just Sakura, thats all.'_

The jinchuriki returned to the present. Naruto watched as his opponent ran towards him, kunai drawn. Bracing himself, he also pulled out a kunai as weapon of choice. He inserted chakra into the blade, ready to deflect her kunai. Of course, his wind -natured Chakra would probably slice the metal in half.

_'Here I come Sakura-chan.' _he thought as ran towards her.

Their kunai met and yet there was no scraping. No cling that indicated the metal even made contact. Instead there was an explosion, throwing both backwards. Naruto landed on his feet, looking dumbfounded. The smoke cleared, Sakura standing amongst the mist.

There was only one reason why there would've been a reaction like that. Their chakra natures had collided. But that was just it. What chakra nature _did_ she have?

_**Remember What Kakashi told you.**_

"_There are five chakra affinities. Explained Kakashi, "Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. The five great nations took their names from these five chakra natures. They are the foundation of all Ninjutsu and the foundation of everything we learn as shinobi."_

"_Fire is strong against wind but weak against water. Wind is strong against lightning but weak against fire. Lightning is strong against Earth but weak against wind. Earth is strong against water but weak against lightning. Water is strong against fire but weak against earth._

Naruto thought for a moment. His eyes widened with realization as he pointed at the pink-haired kunnoichi standing a few yards away from him. Before he had the chance to question her, another attack came his way. Lunging out of the way, Naruto rolled to his feet and grounded himself while he prepared to strike back.

"Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Uzumaki Formation!"

Sakura stopped abruptly and jumped back. '_That's my Naruto.' she mused, 'You're finally on the offensive. I want to see what you've learned. Now show me.'_

The multitude of clones rushed forward, letting out war cries. Sakura assessed the situation. It was kind of related to her fight with Sasori's 100-puppet jutsu but instead of 100 there were at least over 200.

"Fire Style: Dragon's Flame!"

The Naruto clones braced themselves for the attack as they did their best to evade. Through the flames, came poison dipped senbon. Naruto managed to dodge them just in time.

_'That Sakura.' he thought, 'Seems Tsunade wasn't the only one who taught her.'_

He smirked. Naruto had a little something up his sleeve. Sakura looked around, seeing nothing in the clearing but charred grass. She felt something grab her and slam her into a nearby tree. Naruto had her pinned to the tree.

"Gotcha Sakura-chan." he said with a smile.

Sakura gave him a playful smirk. She used his hold on her as an anchor to lift her lower body and wrap her legs around his upper body. Naruto let go and the pinkette used his arm to balance herself before unleashing a powerful kick to the gut.

Surprisingly he'd gotten a punch in just before he went flying. The punch only grazed her shoulder, causing a light bruise to form. It was then that she realized that he was still going easy on her.

"Damn it Naruto." she growled.

The blonde ran towards her, hands clenched into fists. He'd figured a little Taijutsu wouldn't be so bad. Even though Sakura didn't want to him to go easy her, he just couldn't help it. She was his friend but also the woman he loved. She easily dodged his fists, evading by taking steps back.

Sakura was not satisfied. She knew he was going easy on her and she didn't like it; Not one bit. Again, she took a stance as she braced herself for a frontal assault. If he wouldn't take her seriously, then she would force him to. The pink-haired woman ran towards him, hands curled into fists. Naruto braced himself and kept his eyes on her. As she got closer, he focused on her every move. She threw a punch, the first of the barrage that would surely follow.

_'Her timing is much faster.'_ he thought as he staved her off.

Although he was blocking her, Naruto was devising a plan. He waited for her to swing again and caught her fist and upper arm. He then pivoted on the ball of his foot, throwing her away from him. Sakura righted herself in midair and landed in a crouch a few yards away. She could feel her body tiring, having not been a 100% when they'd started. Sweat began to bead on her skin and it was getting harder to breath.

"Shadow clone Jutsu!"

Sakura watched with a cat-like grin as the latter clone began to create the infamous rasengan. Clearly, Naruto had exhausted all options of going easy on her and she was happy for that.

_**'She's getting tired.' **_said the Kyuubi, _**'She was barely at 50% when we started.'**_

_'I can see that.' Naruto said, 'Thats why I've been trying not to fight her as much even though I asked her to train with me.'_

The pinkette in question slowly rose to her feet but collapsed against the tree. Her arms were going numb and the spasms were happening again. Naruto ran to her, kneeling at her side.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" he questioned.

Sakura nodded slowly as she took in deep breaths to catch her breath. Working on that Jutsu had taken a lot out of her and she hadn't even realized it.

_'Damn it.'_ she thought as he looked up at the darknening sky.

The thunder drew closer and Sakura frowned, leaning into the comfort o f the , she could handle but thunder was another thing. She moved to get up but Naruto was crouched, his back to her.

"Get on."he said. "I'll take you home."

Without hesitation, the pinkette put her arms around his had already given her his jacket to shield her from the oncoming rain. The blonde stood up as if she were light as a feather. As he walked, Naruto stole glances at her. The pink-haired woman's eyes were drooping as she lay her head on his shoulder. When she did that her chest pushed against his back and it made him blush.

Naruto then focused his destination. He would've taken her home but, since it was too far a distance to go in this weather, he just figured he'd take her to his house since it was closer. In the next few minutes, he came to the compound and ran up to the porch. Naruto fumbled for his keys, quickly finding them and unlocking the door.

Once inside, he turned to woman he was carrying. "Sakura-chan, wake up." he said softly.

The pink-haired woman moaned softly before opening her eyes. "Hmm?"

"You should probably get out of those wet clothes." he said, "You'll catch a cold."

The blonde placed her on her feet and she stretched, his jacket falling off of her shoulders. Both reached to pick it up, their hands brushing. The two pulled back quickly, averting their gazes as blushes burned on their cheeks. Sakura laughed nervously. "That shower sounds nice right about now." she said before walking away.

The blonde let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding before picking up the jacket. He let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding before picking up the jacket. The faint scent of cherry blossoms entered his nose and put him at ease. He wished to have that sort of comfort in his life, just for once. He yearned for it but it wasn't the same comfort that his many instructors could give him. It was a different one, something that existed before them. A flame that refused to die.

* * *

><p>Sakura looked into the mirror as she let her hair loose of its restraints. She threw her clothes into the hamper and got into the shower, the steamy water hitting her clammy skin. It felt so good, just to relax after a hard day's work of training. She honestly wouldn't mind training with Naruto more often. In addition to their date the other day, It had been fun and it was something she'd needed more than anything. These past events really had her thinking about many things, including his love for her.<p>

The pinkette sighed. "Can I really give him happiness?" she asked herself.

In return, she expected her inner self to give her an answer but she was silent. If even her inner spirit could not help her figure this out, then it was obvious that she had to do some true soul searching and to get her priorities into order. But there were so many to sort through, so many that needed her attention. There was the impending war, the role she would have to play, and the dreadful thoughts that haunted her. Those thoughts about losing those she loved dearly.

With that thought boggling around in her mind, she turned the water off and grabbed a towel from the cabinet. Once her hair was dry, she tied it back into a neat ponytail. Once again, she looked into the mirror. She found her reflection to be somewhat interesting. No longer was she the love-crazed Genin of squad seven.

No longer was she under Tsunade's tutelage as a chuunin but a Jounin and Anbu Captain as well. It was the doubt that was scaring her, truly instilling confusion in her mind. As an important piece on playing field, could she honestly fufill her role in the Battle? With a shake of her head and a slap to her cheeks, these foolish thoughts dispersed from her mind.

The pinkette then noticed the orange shirt that lay neatly folded on the counter. Naruto must've left it for her. The young woman smiled at the caring thought before pulling it over her head. It was a little big on her but she honestly didn't mind.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she collided with something, looking up, she took notice of a certain blonde's bare chest to which she blushed. Sakura found herself herself unmoving as she buried her face in his chest and her arms slipping around him.

"S-Sakura-chan?" he whispered,a blush forming upon his whiskered cheeks.

The young woman took in his scent which smelled of the Rain. It was calming and made her mind somewhat clearer. Naruto couldn't believe this! The woman he chased after for so long finally seemed as though she was in reach if only for the moment. Why was she acting like this? He grasped her by the shoulders and made it so she looked at him. Her emerald orbs met with his bright azures.

"You feeling okay, Sakura-chan?" he questioned as he felt her forehead then his own.

_'She doesn't have a fever.'_ he thought as he looked at her.

There was a faint blush on her cheeks which he preceived as a slight cold. Maybe the rain had gotten to her. Without so much as a warning, he scooped her up in his arms much to her aggravation in which she continuely told him she was fine. He brought her to a spare bedroom and gently placed her on the bed.

"I'll go get some tea for you." he said before leaving the room.

Sakura smiled at him before turning her attention to the window. She got up and went to the window sill, looking out at the oncoming weather. The sky had darkned considerably and it seemed the rain had gotten heavier. The thunder rumbled and lightning flashed in the distance. It unnerved her and she honestly wished this storm would happen at a later time. The lightning reminded her of Sasuke's chidori, a weapon of incredible power and destruction.

Thats what scared her so much. I twas as if the Uchiha controlled the lightning itself, making his evil presence known. But then there was the thunder, proud and unyielding to the was the lthunder that chased the lightning, that chased Sasuke. And she was the rain, trying her best to hold them together until the end.

Speaking of Naruto, where was he? He hadn't come back yet and that was over 10 minutes ago when he'd left her. With a shrug of her shoulders, she only continued to watch the weather. It was then that she sensed the chakra that she knew all too well.

"Still thinking about it?" he questioned as he handed her a cup of tea.

Sakura tightened her grip on the cup but sighed as she turned around to smile at him. "No, I'm fine."

Naruto frowned. He hated when she tried to cover things up so that he wouldn't get depressed. It was her way of not wanting to hurt his feelings and she knew it would upset him.

"Sakura-chan, don't lie to me." he said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

The pink-haired woman bit her lip and went to sit beside him, staring into her tea.

"I'm sorry." she said softly, "I just didn't want to worry you."

The blonde looked over to his friend, commrade, and crush. It did seem as though she'd been thinking alot. Even on the night of their date, she'd had her mind on the upcoming war. And he hated seeing her so down. Naruto turned to her.

"Listen Sakura-chan," he began, "I hate how its come to this. I hate feeling as though I've failed you in bringing Sasuke its always haunted me but I've made a promise to never let you cry again, Sakura-chan. So please, let me worry about Sasuke ok?"

Sakura listened to his words and averted her gaze before taking a sip of her tea. "I understand what you're saying and I've never blamed you for not bringing him back." she said as she leaned on his shoulder, "I feel we should do this as a team. Although I may not take part in the final battle between the two of you, I'll be there to see it through to the end no matter what happens."

* * *

><p><strong>Karin &amp; Sasuke<strong>

Karin had tried to sleep but the pelting rain kept her awake. She wiggled out of her sleeping bag and groped for her glasses. She looked over to see a small lantern burning. Sasuke was staring at something intently and it made her curious. She crawled over to him and looked down at the papers he was so fixed upon. They were maps and list of their allies.

"Sasuke..." she said softly.

The uchiha acknowledged her before turning back to the afore-mentioned papers. Karin frowned. He'd been looking over those same papers ever since they'd set up camp last night. It was beginning to worry her. The Uchiha realized that she never stopped staring and looked up at her in aggravation.

"What is it?" he growled.

The red-head flinched but was determined. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, her red eyes staring into his obsidian ones. They stayed like that for a moment before she found her voice.

"Sasuke, this isn't healthy." she said, "I know this assault is important to you but..."

The Uchiha stared at her and was about to say something when she slapped him across the cheek.

"Don't say a word." she growled, "I know you want to fufill your wish of revenge but you don't need to run yourself ragged before you even achieve your goal! If you do, then you'll only curse yourself. And i don't want to see you like this anymore!"

The sharingan user sighed. Of all the things she hadn't complained about or nagged him about, why did she have to bring this up? The one thing that was stressing him out? He was determined for this to go as he wanted but for some reason, he couldn't think straight as much as he wished for his mind to. Karin moved closer to him, removing her glasses as she went. The uchiha knew what she was planning and he would let her do as she pleased for once. The red-head sat in his lap and put her arms around his neck, her forehead to his.

"Won't you stop just for a little while and have some fun with me?" she whispered, voice dangerously seductive.

Sasuke looked into those crimson eyes of hers and smirked. She did have a point. Both of them had been equally stressed and having been so would not prove good in the few days ahead of them. Each of them needed to be calm and collected when playing their roles and he wouldn't have it any other way. His arms encircled her waist and brought her closer.

"Why don't we just test out your theory then?" he said, a devilish smirk playing on his lips.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Finished! Whew! That last part was hard! Anyways like I was saying, I do apologize for my long Hiatus and I do plan to get chapters up quicker by working around my school and work shedules! So be prepared for the next action-packed chapter of A Hero Returns! I hope you enjoyed! ~Runs away to start on chapter 7~<strong>_

_**Goodbye but not forever(I promise),**_

_**EmikoSakura27**_


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